Mindfulness is becoming so popular in our western vocabulary, whether for our private use or in organisations and other settings, that one wonders how we got by without the word or concept in years gone by.
The value of mindfulness in organisations of all kinds, from corporations to the world within ourselves, is unquestionable and the science and evidence of it is mounting. However, with this volcanic awareness of its purpose and implementation, there comes with it a risk that it is seen as a benign but revolutionary tool that holds the promise of saving us from ourselves and the world from corruption and implosion.
The truth of it is that mindfulness takes work, commitment and ongoing management. Above all, it takes caution, care and appropriate and tailored teaching and use. To introduce it into your life as an individual, or into healthcare settings, schools or the workplace as a means of enhancing life skills, changing behaviour, building resilience, treating psychological and physical conditions and creating focused, creative and unstressed individuals is a great sales pitch but what it doesn’t address is the side of mindfulness that can evoke difficult feelings, stir up unwanted or deeply hidden memories or even be used by organisations as a cosy blanket to cover over the real issues that require addressing.
In other times, meditation was taught by a teacher with many years experience who nurtured and guided the individual, often within a group or community. Of great importance is that the teacher was there to take care of concerns, fears and disruptions that may have arisen. Today, everyone and anyone claims to use and be sufficiently experienced to teach mindfulness to children and adults, leaders and clients, the sick and the well – in fact, to anyone willing and wanting to have a piece of this new-found mental nectar. Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation has taken on this ambrosial quality, one that provides pleasure and sustenance. This may be true but what is all too often being forgotten is the reality that it can be disruptive, frightening and even damaging when it is used and taught by those who aren’t sufficiently trained and qualified in specialist fields. An example is meditation being taught to those with a moderate to severe mental illness by someone who has no mental health training. It’s not only the teaching that is of importance and how it is adapted and moderated to apply to a particular group or setting, but how competent the teacher is in dealing with the struggles and potential fallout that may, and often does, occur.
We are all people with a library of past experiences some of which may all too easily push through our protective barriers, whether or not we have a more serious underlying problem. We are human and this means we are vulnerable and that we have a powerful unconscious mind that holds all of our experiences, some of which will come to the fore when we mediate and we may not be able to squash them down again or manage their powerful force.
We teach (and often preach) care, kindness, concern and notably, being mindful of our actions. Perhaps we need to be more mindful of our own abilities and experiences prior to teaching mindfulness to others in order to prevent hurt to them. Caution and honesty ought to be called in to boundary the untamed spread of what is a truly remarkable and nutrient-filled mindset, practice and set of teachings. Our enthusiasm to spread the word and engage all may, at times, be a mindless, unthinking or ego-driven application and perhaps stepping back and noticing what we are doing and why we are doing it can help us so that we do no harm.
All that glitters is not gold – even the Buddha’s belly.
Dr Cheryl Rezek is a clinical psychologist, author and workshop leader with a strong clinical and academic background. She has worked in diverse areas of mental health, including children, adults, families, substance misuse, forensic setting, hospice and trauma for many decades, developed diverse treatment programmes and headed services. She is the author of the books, Life Happens: Waking up to yourself and your life in a mindful way (Leachcroft), Brilliant Mindfulness: How the mindful approach can help you towards a better life (Pearson) and the new pocket guide series, the first of which is the only published guide on the topic of Mindfulness for Carers (available via www.lifehappens-mindfulness.com) . She has an App entitled iMindfulness-on-the-go and she has written and contributed to numerous articles, conferences and organisations. Her journal article for the International Journal of Leaders in Public Services, A Mind to Manage, was adapted for the Guardian newspaper where it received international readership. Her style and aim is to take psychological concepts and mindfulness to a public audience so that are easily accessible in approach, language and style. Her website is www.lifehappens-mindfulness.com