DBT: Escaping Past Hurts and Future Worries Through Mindfulness

Have you ever tried one of those mindfulness exercises where you try to be "in the present moment"? Because the phrase has been overused so many times, it's lost a lot of impact in term of what it means to practice this -- but being in the present moment is part of the Mindfulness skills module in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and it is a powerful tool in recovery.

Eckhart Tolle, in his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, Eckhart beautifully explains how practicing this skill can help us to eliminate unnecessary worrying and suffering and finally find peace in our minds. (It does take repeated practice.)

I actually carry a copy of this around with me and extra copies to leave in random places to "bless" other people.  You might consider doing the same.

It reads:

"Are you worried? Do you have many "what if" thoughts? You are identified with your mind, which is projecting itself into an imaginary future situation and creating fear.

There is no way you can cope with such a situation, because it does not exist.  It's a mental phantom.

You can stop this health and life-corroding insanity by simply acknowledging the present moment. Become aware of your breathing. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Feel your inner energy field.

All you ever have to deal with, cope with, in real life -- as opposed to imaginary mind projections -- is this moment.

As yourself what 'problem' you have right now, not next year, tomorrow, or five minutes from now.
What is wrong with this moment?

You can always cope with the Now, but you can never cope with the future -- nor do you have to.  The answer, the strength, the right action, or the resource will be there when you need it, not before, not after."

(-- Eckhart Tolle,  A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose)


I hope this example helped bring this skill to life for you.


Thanks for reading.
More Soon.