Introduction to Mindfulness_349810_bookemon_ebook.pdf Coaching and Practising Mindfulness | Page 211

addictive behaviour, e.g. “Your head starts to go first, you don’t use
and then go mad. It can be so subtle. I was doing recovery stuff
before I relapsed but I was doing it automatically, my heart wasn’t in
it. I’d actually relapsed before I picked up the drug… you can get the
buzz before you even get near the drug… the anticipation and then
the hit. I loved it, for a minute, and then the minute went.”
Coping with emotional storms:
Watching Thich Nhat Hahn DVD
Thich Nath Hahn is a Zen Buddhist monk whose writings - e.g. “The
Miracle of Mindfulness” published in 1972 - have had an enormous
impact on the development of structured mindfulness training
programs in health care situations. Thus, his approach to mindfulness
training is very evident in the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
(MBSR) program for chronic physical diseases developed
and taught by John Kabat-Zinn in the USA and also in the
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy program (MBCT) for
depression developed by John Teasdale and Mark Williams in the
UK. Both these programs now have been scientifically researched
and shown to have significant benefits. This DVD on emotional
crises is particularly relevant to the needs of this population and
describes some very practical methods for using mindfulness to
steady ourselves and take care of ourselves when we experience
intense emotions that can easily overwhelm us.
This DVD elaborates on a number of very profound ideas, in very
simple language, for dealing with strong emotions. Thich Nath Hahn
uses very familiar images and metaphors to give people a sense of
exactly what’s involved in each of the steps he describes.
Strong emotions, he says, can take us by surprise and we should learn
to recognise the signs before it is too late. Strong emotions can lead
to suicidal behaviour, as some people feel that suicide is the only way
they can get free of their strong emotions. Emotions are powerful
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