Psychotherapy and Meditation: 
How do they fit together?

As meditation practice has become part of the mainstream, talking about mindfulness meditation and therapy in the same breath has become more common. Famously, the book “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert has the heroine enjoy both practices, as she journeys through her difficulties to a greater understanding of who she is becoming, and what she needs for a happy life.

Many psychotherapists have incorporated mindfulness-based practices into their treatment. 

Some types of mindful therapies are: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mind Body Intelligence (MBI). These treatments all have some connection to Buddhist Psychology and meditation practice.

Common Threads
One of the common threads is the empowerment of the patient to be an active partner in their own healing. Meditation practices can help develop a more compassionate observing self ( called the Benevolent Witness in MBI) and help reduce suffering by encouraging a greater comfort level with one’s own thoughts.

Patients suffering from anxiety can learn how the breath and concentration meditation can significantly reduce their discomfort. Patients who are experiencing depression can develop mental strategies that allow for greater flexibility in thinking, and a more wholesome outlook on their lives.

Mindful Movement
Patients who suffer from physical problems or chronic illness also benefit from these therapies. Practices like MBI that include Qigong (the parent tradition of Tai Chi) offer pathways to connect with the potential for healing the body-mind. Meditation combined with mindful movement and healing imagery has been shown to have a significant impact on physical health. 
 For more on this topic, I encourage you to click here.
Developing a compassionate meditation practice can become a source of insight and joy in anyone’s life. For those who are suffering, mindfulness-based psychotherapy can provide a powerful path to healing.



May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.

Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

No thing becomes nothing; 
Touching impermanence













The Orchid sits regal in it’s simple clay pot. The cascade of flowers describes an elegant arch ending in several buds, full of the promise of more blooms. Each petal is colored with delicate care by an unseen paint brush; the nuances of tint and shade delight the discerning eye. What will be left when the last bud opens and the blossoms fade and die?

Attaching to what can’t be held

Our human inclination is to cling to delightful experience. We see the flowers as static and wish for them to last forever. We think of them in a single dimension as existing only now and never again. When they disappear we may feel sad, or may cling to the experience. How can I get this plant to bloom again soon? I should buy more Orchid plants. What if I could always have Orchid flowers blooming, and never have to go without?

Being and Non-being is a continuum

 Looking deeply into the Orchid plant, we can touch the ground of reality. In its essence, rests all that it has been and may yet be. It is not simply a plant with flowers. It is air and water and soil. It is clouds, sun and nutrients. Its very cells are shifting, evolving into new biochemical patterns, in every moment. 

When the blooms are gone, they are still part of what is real, but their form has changed. Everything that came together as an orchid bloom; still exists in the air, the clouds, the potting medium. 
When the farmer looks at his field, planted with wheat, he sees the stalks filled with grain. When we look at a young child, we see who they may become. But we don’t like to look at the empty field of brown stubble after the harvest. We don’t acknowledge that even a precious child filled with great potential, will one day grow old and die. 

Everything cycles into a place where it is not seen. We call this death and it causes us great suffering.

All Dharmas Arise, Abide, and Pass Away

Liberating ourselves from clinging to a concrete view of reality may seem a daunting task. It feels so filled with loss and sadness. Yet, when we can touch impermanence, we become free to experience life with a depth and delight that is not otherwise possible. Everything, even our very selves, are changing moving and flowing into the next moment of existence. We are not fixed entities. We will not last forever in this set of evolving configurations. Yet we will never disappear.

Nourishing the awareness of impermanence
As you walk mindfully through your day, notice the fluid, evolving nature of everything around you. That tree on the corner of your street was once a seed and may one day be wood for a park bench. The building you work in, was once an idea in an architect’s mind; and will some time fall into rubble and dust, or become soil and the minerals that a seed needs to grow into a tree. Nothing is ever lost. No thing goes nowhere. No thing comes from nowhere.

Breathing in I am aware of my body
Breathing out I experience my body changing.

Breathing in I notice the evolving nature of the world around me.
Breathing out I open to the changes in my own being.

Breathing in I feel free of clinging to a solid world.
Breathing out I enjoy the thrill of groundlessness.


Breathing in I feel the fear of loss
Breathing out I kindly hold my fear.


Breathing in I am free to enter into this moment,
Breathing out I open my hands.

Breathing in I intend to refrain from clinging
Breathing out I am here.



May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.
Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

Snow on a Spring morning; 
Past Present and Future Are Now

The air is mild. A few patches of pale blue sky and young sunlight peek through the clouds. Flakes of snow; errant feathers from the shaken pillows of heaven, drift down into this spring morning. Beautifully odd and compelling, as Winter and Spring intermingle and remind us that all is one.
Thinking in a straight line
If we were living in one dimension, on a path of time that only moved from beginning to end, there would be so little room for growth, change and joy. We grow up believing that we cannot change the past, and that the past will determine the future; A great source of suffering.
Reality is vast
 When we realize, as quantum physics teaches us, that many dimensions exist at once, many planets, and many universes; a powerful sensation of spaciousness and possibility occurs. 
We carry with us all that we have been, all that we are, and all that we might be, in every, single moment. Each of those moments are full of choice, with a myriad of possibilities waiting to unfold before you.
We can change the past
 Choosing a mindful path allows us to heal the past. We can bring compassion and understanding to relationships that may be long gone. This compassion causes a ripple of lovingkindness to move through time. It touches our past selves and the people in our lives. It heals us and them. Voila! The present is now a new version of history. Possibility for the future is now broader, deeper and more fluid. 
Looking deeply into time 
and space
 As you sit in mindful meditation, gently open to the beauty that is around you. Snow can fall into a spring morning. 
Looking deeply, you may experience the immensity of all that is occurring now, and your place in the flow of time. Open into self compassion, spaciousness and infinite possibility in every direction.

Breathing in I feel life infusing my body
Breathing out my body opens into this moment.


Breathing in I notice the beauty all around me.
Breathing out I am one with experience.


Breathing in I take limitless space into the body-mind.
Breathing out I feel spacious.


Breathing in I invite compassion into my heart
Breathing out I send compassion throughout my whole history.


Breathing in I am filled with infinite possibility,
Breathing out I send lovingkindness into the future.

Breathing in I am present in this moment
Breathing out I open to joy.



May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.

Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

Water and Stone: Mindful Relationship

When we experience pain or friction in our relationships, it  may be difficult to remain mindful. Feeling hurt we tend to close down and become hardened toward the other person. As we dwell in this dark, protected space we can see nothing but the cold stone walls created by pain. We create a rocky shell around our hearts that is meant to protect. 

The Litany of the Wronged
 With eyes closed we chant the litany of our defense; “I am right, they are wrong. They are so hurtful and I am just a victim. I must get them to go away, or admit their guilt and apologize. I will not let them hurt me again. I am hard as stone.”

Anger is Important
 It is important that we be allowed to feel anger and it is human to want to defend ourselves when we feel wronged. As an alternative to simply reacting, a mindful path permits us to make compassionate yet effective choices, as we take good care of ourselves.
 A mindful path flows like rushing water across the stone. We travel to a place of safety and resolution; a deep serene pool. Our heart is soft, spacious and moving. 

How to begin
We start by taking very good care of the anger. Placing our mindful arms around it, we hold the anger with tenderness.
As we breathe, the stone around our hearts begins to sing and dissolve into the powerful currents of mindfulness. We become infused with the courage to face the difficulty with an open heart.

If your partner is mindful as well, the interaction can be one of mutual healing. Each person takes good care of their anger. Each person is able to take responsibility for whatever suffering they may have caused. Each person compassionately acknowledges the other. Deep understanding, resolution and growth occurs.

Encountering Anger
 You might benefit from sitting with one experience of anger. Bring your mindful compassionate self (your Benevolent Witness) to hold your anger. See about refraining from judgment and criticism. Continue to focus on the breath and see what insights arise!

Breathing in I feel the breath in my body
Breathing out I allow my body to rest.

Breathing in I notice hurt and angry feelings.
Breathing out I gently hold them in my arms.

Breathing in I feel my difficulty.
Breathing out I know I am safe from harm.

Breathing in I am the softness of water, tempered with stone
Breathing out I am compassionate and powerful.

Breathing in I am the strength of stone dissolved in water,
Breathing out I cannot be broken.



May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.

Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

The Buddha and the Cactus:
Working with Difficult Experience

 Reacting with aversion to any unpleasant experience causes us greater suffering. Inviting ourselves to lean deeply into something painful, just seems counter-intuitive; especially in our culture, where we are taught that we should never have to feel pain.

Discomfort
Discomfort is part of life. If we adopt the attitude that all of life, every experience, is valuable and rich; we can be relieved of a great part of our suffering.

What a Drag!
Perhaps today you find that you are late for an appointment. Rushing about you begin to perspire and feel physically uncomfortable.  In your mind your Critical Witness begins to berate you: “Why did you mess around at breakfast? Couldn’t you have looked at the clock? Did you really have to check your email, one more time? Now you are going to be late. People are going to be angry. What an idiot!”

Closing Down:
When we are distressed, we tend to close down, and harden ourselves to deal with the unpleasant situation.
 We criticize ourselves or someone else. We may react without thinking, by being hurtful to ourselves or someone we love.
 Yet, we might choose to transform these automatic ways of responding into a more wholesome path. Because mindfulness practice offers us a choice.


Choose One Experience
 You might want to choose one difficult experience from  your recent past, or aspire to practice the following, next time you experience suffering. 

Breathing in I feel the breath in my body
Breathing out I enjoy my breath.

Infant sensitivity, attachment, and predicting behavior problems: Implications for Mindfulness Practice.

An interesting study examining infant sensitivity to the environment can provide a deeper understanding of the value of the Child’s mind. The study by Conradt, Measlee, and Ablow, looks at ways to identify which babies might develop behavior problems, when raised in impoverished homes. 

 The infants in the study were monitored for their responsiveness to stimuli in their environment, by measuring their heart rate. Babies with higher heart rates were more sensitive to the environment.

Babies were evaluated again as 17 month old toddlers for behavior problems such as aggression and anxiety. They were also assessed for the level of secure attachment to their mothers.

The interesting results of the study showed the infants with greater sensitivity to the environment had far greater behavior problems if their relationship with their mother was insecure. Conversely, the sensitive children with secure attachment to Mom did far better than any of the other groups, (they had far fewer behavior problems) including children living in less stressful, more affluent environments. 

How do we integrate this with our understanding of mindfulness and Buddhist psychology?

You might see the infants with greater sensitivity as naturally inclined to be responsive and open to the environment. This sounds very much like the attitude of the Child’s Mind! Yet those sensitive individuals can be overwhelmed by their own openness without the comfort of the compassionate relationship (as in the secure attachment with Mom).

When we provide compassion to ourselves, in our internal world, we are far better equipped to respond, in productive ways to our environment! So mindfulness opens the door to experience, and compassion offers us the safety to respond with an open mind, body, and spirit!

May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.
Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

Working with the Mind:
 Bow to Every Thought

Mindfulness practice can sometimes seem like an insurmountable challenge. Over the years many students have told me: “ I tried to meditate but I just couldn’t empty my mind. I have so many thoughts, I just can’t do it.”

The Fullness of the Mind
 In Mind Body Intelligence we learn that the fullness of the mind is its natural state. No-one can truly “empty” their minds, nor is that really a desirable condition. The gift of mindfulness practice, is the development of the capacity to work with whatever arises in our minds; which in turn deepens our ability to be present. From the mindful state we are able to receive all of our experience and yet, choose to refrain from thinking about it. Thinking about experience creates a kind of barrier that interferes with touching the reality of this, very moment.

Cultivating inner atmosphere
 Sitting in basic concentration meditation, we nurture an inner experience of acceptance and loving-kindness. We refrain from judgment and criticism. As we sit, we intend to accept everything that occurs (lots of thoughts or physical discomfort, for example) for just what they are, as we also refrain from striving for a “better meditation experience”. 

In this lovely atmosphere of ease, acceptance and compassion; we notice every thought, sensation, feeling, and experience that arises. Because we are focusing on the breath, our bodies have entered into a state of rest and calm, further supporting our mental intentions. 


The palace of mind consciousness
 Into this palace of mind consciousness comes the mental formations (your thoughts). We can think of them as petitioners who seek audience with the monarch; royal relatives and nobles, scholars, merchants and business people, the poor, the wronged and the sick. Each of them want to be heard and each of them has a very important message.


You are the gracious Monarch. You have decreed a period of silence and open-hearted presence. Bowing to the petitioners as each one approaches, you kindly acknowledge their presence. They must agree to refrain from speaking, to receive the benefit of entering the hall of audience.
 
The flow of visitors begins to decrease as they bask in the glow of your compassion, and their urgency to be heard diminishes.They become still and sure in the sense that they will be heard at the right time. They begin to sink down and rest, out of your awareness, of their own accord.  


Breathing in I notice my thoughts.
Breathing out I smile to them.


Breathing in I notice thinking.
Breathing out I tenderly call my thoughts by name; “thinking”.


Breathing in I feel the breath enter my body.
Breathing out I create an inner palace of lovingkindness.

Breathing in I notice the breath
Breathing out I bow to my thoughts.

Breathing in I rest in the palace
Breathing out I feel calm



May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.

Mind Body Intelligencetm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

Lifting our Winter Spirits: Openness Reduces Suffering

The air is very cold and the skies have been gray, dropping rain and snow on our heads. The ground usually solid and secure, has become a fluid, icy surface. Snow sits atop our vehicles and requires extra effort to make them ready to travel. Perhaps it takes longer to get to work, or weekend plans are canceled.

We can choose to respond in many ways. 

Although we recognize the hazards and the inconveniences of the season, we are not required to feel miserable.

Breathing in I notice my body’s response to the cold.
 Breathing out I take good care of my body and intend to dress warmly.
Breathing in I am aware of treacherous ice on the ground.
Breathing out I am mindful of my step.

As I move through my winter day, if my discomfort or concerns are held safe and warm in compassionate arms,I can be free to be refreshed by the chilly air. 
I can glory in the bare magnolia tree in my yard. The crotches of its uplifted branches, filled with snow.

Breathing in I feel the sap at the warm heart of the tree. I share its strength and the miracle of its survival through the frigid season. My fingers and toes begin to tingle as I share this life energy, with a tree. I become aware of the elegant bare branches, lifting their long arms and fingers upward to invite the golden winter sun. How much more gorgeous is the sunlight after days of blanketing gray...

Breathing in I am grateful for winter.
Breathing out: How wonderful to be alive!




May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman

© Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013, all rights reserved.

Mind Body Intelligencetm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.

Mindfulness and Illness: A Compassionate Attitude Heals Body and Soul

In this winter season we are often surrounded by others who are suffering from colds or the flu. Although we do our best to wash our hands and limit contact with those who are sick, we may also become ill.

In Mind Body Intelligence we learn that pushing away difficult experiences causes us greater suffering. What might it mean to be open to the experience of being sick, and how would that help?


The first leg of the journey toward compassionate healing begins with acceptance of the body. We tend to be very critical of our bodies, especially when they do not meet some standard of beauty; cause us embarrassment; or require us to make accomodations by staying home from work or a fun social event. When we are well, we sometimes forget that getting sick is part of the nature of our bodies in this life. We can become hard and critical, or impatient.

Most people are not aware that our critical internal voice, known as the Critical Witness in MBI, is often a response to anxiety or fear. We can think of the Critical Witness as the voice of a frightened young parent. Being critical is the  parent’s (unskilled) way of getting the child to behave differently. A more mature parent knows that criticism isn’t helpful. They are capable of comforting the sick child and nursing them back to health. A mature parent can assess the situation calmly and determine the proper home remedy, if medical help is needed, or both.

We can choose  to engage this more mature and loving part of ourselves, to come and attend the sick child. A good parent wants to know all about what is bothering the child. What is wrong, honey? Do you have a fever? Where does it hurt?

We open to our experience and breathe in to the symptoms.
 “Breathing in I am aware that my throat is sore. Breathing out I send re-assurance to the suffering part of me.”

“Breathing in I am aware of being frightened by my illness. Breathing out I send compassion and reassurance to the frightened part of me.”

When this wise and compassionate part of ourselves is invited to appear, we can begin to relax into taking good care of our bodies. Energy that might have been spent in irritation or annoyance with the inconvenience or pain of illness, becomes the energy to make a cup of tea, get into bed or make an appointment to see a physician. You might ask for some tenderness from those around you. You might have the experience of being held and loved in your own internal world. 


May this information benefit you, those you love, and all sentient beings, everywhere.

-Ellen Adelman



 © Ellen M. Adelman PhD 2013. All rights reserved.
Mind Body Intelligence tm is a trademark of Ellen M. Adelman PhD 
and the Sage Healing Institute. 

For more information visit www.sagehealinginstitute.com.