Mindfulness and Self-Empowerment

How and Why Mindful Awareness can add to SMART Self-Management

By Bill AbbottAssisted by Suzy

Whalen

HERE

The Talk a series of Stories

• My Story• The Buddha Story• The SMART Story • The Mindfulness Story • The Science Story • The Practice & Experience Story

My Story• Amazing transition-”transformative” • My Recovery & SMART • MBSR• I am not a Buddhist ..or any ic or ist• Today

The School of Athens– Plato v Aristotle

The School of Athens– Plato v Aristotle

The Buddha Story

• Kind of a Buddhism - lite

• Will be simplified.. corners cut

• Will have important omissions ..so incomplete

• Will spin it for relevance to Smart Recovery

* With Apology to Buddhists *

The Buddha Story~500 bceA Man, Siddhartha Gautama; NOT a god Not a religionPhilosophy and Psychology4 Truths8 step path

to enlightenment and freedom

The Buddha Story

Concepts- Pali or Sanskrit• dukkha…suffering, unsatisfactoriness, stress

• karma ….actions-consequences

• bodhi….enlightenment

• nirvana …..liberation

• dharma….truth

The Buddha Story

Dukkha

• Difficult word to understand

• Suffering comes closest

• Unsatisfactoriness

• Stress ..in broad context

The Buddha Story

Karma or Kamma• This is not fate• Cause and effect • “What goes around comes around”• We are responsible for our lives via actions• We have choices and need to make wise ones

The Buddha Story

Four Noble Truths:1. Life has suffering and is often unsatisfactory

(dukkha)2. The cause of suffering (dukkha) is craving 3. The relief of suffering is possible4. By following an 8 step path

The Buddha Story

The Causes of “Suffering-Craving” **

The 3 Poisons:1. Attachment (clinging) or greed2. Aversion or hatred3. Delusion or ignorance

**Dukkha

The Buddha Story

The Causes of “Suffering-Craving” **

The 3 Marks of Existence –Realities failure to accept :

1. Impermanence—every thing changes2. The truth of Suffering3. Material Egoic Self

**Dukkha

The Buddha Story Marks of Existence

• Impermanence- ………………..anicca

• Suffering –……………………………dukkha

• Impermanent Egoic Self ……….anatta

The Buddha Story

Enlightenment … Bodhi-citta• Awareness of the reality of our existence• Buddha << Bodhi << awake and aware • Allows wisdom and clarity in making choices • Not all or none in western Buddhism

The Buddha Story

Nirvana or Nibbana:• The achievement of total awareness state• Brings liberation and freedom from suffering

(dukkha) • Not all or none in western Buddhism

The Buddha Story

The 8 Fold Path – The Middle Way1. Right* understanding2. Right* intention3. Right* speech4. Right* behavior5. Right* living6. Right* effort7. Right* mindfulness8. Right* concentration

* Right = Skillful or correct or appropriate

Wisdom

Behavior

Concen-tration

The Buddha Story The “Second Arrow” of the Buddha

First Arrow --------------- PainSecond Arrow --------- Suffering

Pain is InevitableSuffering is Optional

The Mindfulness Story

Mindfulness = Mindful Awareness Mindfulness is the opposite of Mindlessness

70 – 80 % of time not hereLost in story of past, future, fantasy

The Mindfulness Story Mindfulness brought to the US by some disaffected youth in the 1960’sNames include Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg et. al.Applied to “physical problems and stress” by Jon Kabat-Zinn (70s)

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness- just what is it

1. Paying attention is a special way* to the present experience without judgment

2. Allowing things to be as they are 3. Accepting things as they are 4. Letting go – not clinging

* With bare attention= Receptive-not reactive * Not Doing- Being

The Mindfulness Story Mindful Awareness Practices can:• add a new dimension to Self-Management• add a new dimension to Self-Empowerment • be a direct approach to emotional

management• augment and add to cognitive approaches

THE SMART STORY

Al EllisSid Gautama

The SMART Story

• In SMART Recovery we focus on mainly cognitive concepts and tools from the work of Albert Ellis

• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)• There is an element of emotional management already

there, a mindfulness strategy will augment that• Mindful awareness ideas can strengthen the SMART

approach

TWO APPROACHES

COGNITIVE AFFECTIVEThoughts Emotions/feelings

TWO APPROACHES OVERLAP

COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE

Where Buddhism and SMART AgreeBuddhism• Self-Management• Self-Empowerment• Choice• Freedom• Skillful Action

SMART• Self-Management• Self-Empowerment• Choice• Recovery • Tools

Where Buddhism and SMART AgreeBuddhism• Craving• Acceptances• Equanimity • Clarity/Wisdom• Sangha

SMART• Demandingness• Acceptances• Frustration Tolerance• Understanding addiction • Community

The Smart Story7 factors of Buddist Enlightenment ..Smart

Style 1. Mindfulness Awareness of issues2. Investigation Understanding problems3. Energy Motivation to change4. Joy Happiness with recovery 5. Tranquility Freedom from addiction 6. Concentration Peacefulness, calm mind 7. Equanimity Balance

SMART Tools :

• Unconditional Acceptances• USA, UOA, ULA

• Urge Surfing

• ABC-tool---scaling , Irrational,unhelpful beliefs

• DISaRM

SMART Tools : DEADSAn urge coping tool

D - delay (Pause)E- escapeA- allow (or accept) D- distractS- substitute

Smart Tools: STOPPAn urge coping tool

S- stop what you are doing or PauseT- take a breath (or 2 or more)O- observe what's happeningP- put in proper perspectiveP- put into practice (new, learned responses)

Pause Button 4

Pause Button 1Physics

Stimulus Reaction

Pause Button 3Biology

Stimulus Response

Power to chooseFreedom to choose

Victor Frankl

Pause Button 6Mindful Awareness

Practice

SMART Recovery Tool

The Science Story (1)Clinical studies find benefits for:

• Depression• Stress-Reduction• Addiction • Anxiety Disorders• OCD• PTSD• Personality Disorders

The Science Story (2)Affective Neuroscience**Demonstrated in objective human brain studies:• Positive Outlook• Self-Awareness• Sensitivity to Context• Resilience

** after 7-10 hours practice

The Science Story (3) Emotional Management Benefits• Peacefulness• Safety• Focus• Empowerment• Clarity

THE PRACTICE STORY 3 basic practices ( MAPs)

Calming concentration“Coming back”

Shamatha

Insight –Clarity“Being here”

Vipassana

Loving KindnessCompassion

Metta

THE PRACTICE STORY

• Often but not always practiced with meditation

• Not all meditation is Mindful• Not all mindfulness is via meditation • Most common focus is on the breath

THE PRACTICE STORY

• Short, 11-14 min. guided meditation before wrap-up• Unless active discussion seems more important• Then optional – after meeting • Mostly a Coming Back exercise; some Being Here

last part• Often ends with brief Metta (loving kindness)

The Experience Story

• Informal survey:

• 75% found helpful, and/or beneficial, • 50% SR was first exposure;

• 80% practice between meetings ;• 50% as result of meetings

• Reported • 85% reported increased calmness/peacefulness• 76% reported decreased stress• 59% reported more positive outlook • 65% reported emotional stability

In summary Mindfulness or Mindful Awareness

is a form of emotional self – management

via Self-empowering practices

NOW

Mindful Self-Empowerment

“Come and See” Buddha

Namaste

Annabelle Abbott

End Subtitle

Thank youEnd Subtitle

ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)

B C

D = DISPUTEE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING

CONCLUSIONS • A simple story of self-management of

emotions via mindful self-empowerment• How is does and can integrate with SMART

Recovery principles and tools• A simple practice with observed benefits

described• For more; Attend the Practicum on Sunday

@7 AM

• NAMASTE

ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)

B C

D = DISPUTEE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING

MINDFUL AWARENESS

ABCDEFA = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)

B C

D = DISPUTE or MAPE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING or OUTCOME

MINDFUL AWARENESS

ABCDEF + MINDFUL AWARENESS A = ACTIVATING EVENTC = CONSEQUENCE (emotion)B = BELIEF (about the event)

B C

D = DISPUTE or MAPE = EFFECTIVE NEW BELIEFF = NEW FEELING or OUTCOME

MINDFUL AWARENESS

Pause Button 5

Play tape backward

Pause Button 2Biology

Stimulus Response

Fast BrainSlow Brain

Kahneman

Pause Button 5

Play tape forwardPlay tape backward

Laws of PhysicsSeeking:

A Grand Unification Theory Or Theory of Everything (TOE)

The Pause Button Tool is such an effort:A unification idea meant to simplify the use of SMART Tools

The Buddha Story The 5 Precepts:

1.Avoid killing (harming others)2.Avoid lying3.Avoid stealing4.Avoid sexual malpractices5.Avoid intoxicating substances

The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit

Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha

Kamma: Action Result Karma

Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana:

Bodhi : Enlightenment Bodhi:

Elemental Buddha The 3 Marks of Existence:

1. Impermanence – Anicca2. Suffering – Dukkha3. Non-Self – Anatta

The 3 Poisons:4. Attachment / Greed5. Aversion / Hatred6. Ignorance / Delusion

The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit

Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha

Kamma: Action Result Karma

Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana: Freedom

Dhamma: Truth Dharma: Truth

The Buddha StoryThe 3 Poisons:

1. Attachment / Greed2. Aversion / Hatred3. Ignorance / Delusion

The 3 Marks of Existence:4. Impermanence – Anicca5. Suffering – Dukkha6. Non-Self – Anatta

The Buddha StoryPali Sanskrit

Dukkha: Suffering Dukkha

Kamma: Action Result Karma

Nibbana: Freedom from Suffering Nirvana:

Bodhi : Enlightenment Bodhi: