While every relationship we have begins with our relationship with ourselves, relational mindfulness gives us the tools we need to connect more deeply with others. Indeed it is the arena of meeting the day-to-day family, work, and societal struggles that we can profoundly deepen our mindfulness practice.
What Does Relational Mindfulness Look Like?
What Does Relational Mindfulness Look Like?
Imagine yourself in one of these situations: You are in conversation with your spouse or partner and you feel yourself becoming triggered. As much as you want to stay present, you begin to shut down and become reactive. You are at a social gathering and don’t know many people, so you begin to feel awkward and disconnected. You try to make small talk but end up retreating into your phone. You have to have a difficult conversation with a co-worker and find yourself unable to get back to work, and instead ruminatie on all the things you could have said. You are listening to the news and find yourself stressed, worried, overwhelmed, and feeling hopeless. When we apply mindfulness to these everyday situations, we can shift away from our habitual reactions and begin to open ourselves to responding with compassion. We can learn to use our trigger moments to deepen our quality of presence and understanding. Rather than reacting (as described above), we can recognize that those every-day moments are opportunities to practice mindfulness:
The Nine Principles of Relational Mindfulness Practice
The Nine Principles of Relational Mindfulness Practice
Relational mindfulness offers both a set of teachings, and tools for embodiment. It is not a set of standards to hold yourself to or to use against yourself or others, but a set of encouragements for healing. These principles can help you to bring more care and compassion to your families, love relationships, work life, social action and community organizing, and most importantly, your relationship with yourself.
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Kylee Ross February 28, 2020
Christopher Willard October 30, 2019
