Hahaha, third wave for psychiatry...we’re pretty slow on the uptake.
I’m only familiar with the clinical western version, which is mindfulness based. So the main focus is on being aware in the current moment of sensations in your body and how they change. Basically just noticing. Also a very high emphasis on acceptance and gentle redirection back to the present moment when you notice that thoughts begin to form. Posture is whatever position is comfortable: a straight backed chair or laying on the ground.
I can see the similarities between the meditations you describe and the western version, but I can also definitely see why the practice has been modified to be more forgiving if it’s aimed at depressed people. What you describe sounds very exacting which is probably not great for someone prone to berating themselves out of proportion. Most of the western versions I’ve heard include something like the phrase “if your mind wanders, this is to be expected. Your brain is a thinking machine and it’s designed to do just that. Just gently bring it back to your breathing for as long as you can whenever you notice it wandering again.”
I would be interested in trying to original versions. I attempted something like lovingkindness meditation, which is Tibetan and involves imagining and feeling compassion for someone you love, then trying to feel the same compassion for someone you feel neutral about, someone you don’t get along with, then everyone. It seemed to have good results.
Hahaha, third wave for psychiatry...we’re pretty slow on the uptake.
I’m only familiar with the clinical western version, which is mindfulness based. So the main focus is on being aware in the current moment of sensations in your body and how they change. Basically just noticing. Also a very high emphasis on acceptance and gentle redirection back to the present moment when you notice that thoughts begin to form. Posture is whatever position is comfortable: a straight backed chair or laying on the ground.
I can see the similarities between the meditations you describe and the western version, but I can also definitely see why the practice has been modified to be more forgiving if it’s aimed at depressed people. What you describe sounds very exacting which is probably not great for someone prone to berating themselves out of proportion. Most of the western versions I’ve heard include something like the phrase “if your mind wanders, this is to be expected. Your brain is a thinking machine and it’s designed to do just that. Just gently bring it back to your breathing for as long as you can whenever you notice it wandering again.”
I would be interested in trying to original versions. I attempted something like lovingkindness meditation, which is Tibetan and involves imagining and feeling compassion for someone you love, then trying to feel the same compassion for someone you feel neutral about, someone you don’t get along with, then everyone. It seemed to have good results.