I love seeing examples of embodied cognition thesis out in the wild! I always try to encourage people to view the activities that help them be present as it’s own form of mindfulness or meditation. Many terms for it - ‘flow state’ is also common.

I alos have ADHD and struggled with sitting still at the beginning, but I’ve learned that my mind is like an untrained puppy and it will go wherever it wants. Mindfulness is acknowledging the puppy and then guiding attention back to the present through our senses (for you, touch). Like putting a leash on my brain when it gets too distracted lmao

I haven’t had many people with alexithymia, have you found this to be the most helpful way to deal with it?

Wow, what’s going on in the comments here? Holy moly.

MS in psychotherapy here. Naturopathy is quite a loaded word - established by Benedict Lust in the early 1900s US and associated with movements such as homeopathy. It’s mostly quack psuedoscience, as you’ve identified.

The best way to change someone’s mind is typically to follow their own line of thinking to it’s natural conclusion and pointing out logical inconsistencies along the way. I wouldn’t try to ambush her about it, but hear out her points and provide evidence along the way, e.g. “oh I read a study that says …, how does this idea fit with the results?”

Many educated people get sucked into this type of pseudoscientific thinking, especially in mental health. They think they are being rational, and it makes sense on the surface. She likely finds comfort in this guy and the community around these ideas.

At the end of the day, her beliefs are not your responsibility. It may be time for you to evaluate your relationship with her if she isn’t able to hear you out. Best of luck!

This was always my favorite one at retreats, I try to walk mindfully at least a few minutes whenever I step out for a walk! The only time I’ve seen the bears near me was while doing this. It’s oddly felt to me at times that the more I intentionally put myself into the present, the more the world has to show me (clearly just me paying more attention to everyday stimuli I guess lmao)

Your post reminded me of my favorite Viktor Frankl quote! “Between stimulus and response there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Heck yeah thanks for the suggestion! My wife and I just moved in here so I’m excited to learn about all the wildlife in my new neighborhood

I’m thankful for you 😊

That sounds like quite the experience! I’ve gone on a few vipassana retreats that were quite intense, but it is where I got the most “in touch” with my inner self and my local mindfulness community. I’ll have to look up what zazen entails!

Mindfulness as a category is so broad in my experience. I work with kids in middle school, and while those that are able to focus on small practices seem to be benefit it’s difficult to provide something deeper within a 1-hr format where I’m also supposed to meet specific treatment goals. I totally agree that much of the stuff printed is pretty worthless, when I take the time to engage and show what mindfulness does is when it is most effective.

I’m glad you found something that works well for you!

Calm down, Shakespeare