| MMT is an exciting new development in which | | | | some remarkable changes begin to unfold quite |
| mindfulness is applied directly to difficult emotional | | | | automatically. Any form of emotional suffering, or |
| states such as phobias, anxiety, anger and other forms | | | | dukkha, represents a state of instability and the |
| of emotional reactivity. | | | | Psyche hates instability and will always try to resolve |
| Personal relationships provide one of the greatest | | | | dukkha if given the freedom to change. Mindfulness |
| challenges in life and most of us will experience | | | | and satisampajanna provide this therapeutic space |
| difficulties with patterns of habitual reactivity that are | | | | and freedom in which transformation and resolution |
| triggered by our partner. Our buttons get pushed and | | | | can occur. This is an experiential process that usually |
| we become angry or upset. This dynamic is based on | | | | involves subtle changes in feelings and memories and |
| learned habitual reactivity in which both the perpetrator | | | | often involves experiential imagery. The exact nature |
| and victim are compelled to react. You may say | | | | of what unfolds is different from one person to |
| something knowing that it will cause offense, but | | | | another, but the effect of this inner transformation of |
| unable to stop yourself from saying it. The victim feels | | | | experience eventually leads to the resolution of the |
| compelled to react by taking offense and becoming | | | | emotional energy that powers a reaction. When the |
| upset or angry. | | | | reaction looses this compulsive energy, called tanha in |
| The key to changing these repetitive patterns of | | | | Pali, then you find that you have more choices and are |
| habitual reactivity in both parties is to first recognize | | | | not compelled to react, either in causing offense or |
| the reactions and then learn how to form a relationship | | | | becoming upset when your partner hurts you with |
| with the emotional energy that compels the reaction. | | | | unkind words. |
| Once you have recognized a reaction, then you can | | | | This natural healing energy is called satipanna, the |
| actually study it and examine how it works. You begin | | | | innate wisdom-intelligence that we all possess and that |
| to see the reaction as an object to be investigated | | | | becomes active when there is mindfulness. |
| and known, rather than getting entangled in the | | | | MMT offers an exciting new way of working with |
| story-line of who did what to whom and who is right | | | | emotions and provides a tool for improving well-being |
| and who is wrong. This is the first function of | | | | and happiness and I invite you to look more closely at |
| mindfulness - learning to recognize a reaction, seeing it | | | | how you can apply mindfulness to work with your |
| as an object and not getting seduced into further | | | | inner conflicts and dukkha. |
| reactivity. | | | | Peter Strong, PhD is a scientist and Buddhist who |
| In order to change a habitual reaction, it is essential that | | | | specializes in the study of mindfulness and its |
| you are able to "sit" with the underlying felt-sense of | | | | application in Mindfulness Meditation Therapy. He |
| the compulsion to react. Mindfulness provides one of | | | | teaches mindfulness meditation (vipassana) and |
| the best ways of working with these emotional trigger | | | | coaches individuals and couples in the application of |
| points, by keeping our attention firmly focused on the | | | | mindfulness for resolving difficult emotional problems, |
| present experience of the emotion and preventing the | | | | including anxiety, depression, phobias, grief and trauma |
| attention wandering off into thinking and further | | | | and the management of anger and stress. Besides |
| reactivity. Mindfulness is called sati in Pali, the language | | | | face-to-face work, he also works with individuals and |
| of the Buddha's discourses and the quality of pure | | | | couples via email and web conferencing. Visit |
| non-reactive knowing of the present experience of an | | | | Email enquiries welcome. |
| emotion is called satisampajanna, clear seeing with | | | | You can purchase a copy of Dr Strong's book |
| mindfulness. | | | | ‘The Path of Mindfulness Meditation' through |
| When we are able to establish the relationship of | | | | Amazon. |
| satisampajanna with our inner compulsion or pain, then | | | | |