Many of us are raised in households where we were scolded for our “stinking thinking” or told that “we could get glad in the same pants we got mad in.” Often in therapy, we are taught to use affirmations, identify cognitive distortions, and refute negative thoughts. While these modalities can be useful and the spirit behind our family member’s instruction …
Meditation can be defined as willfully and purposefully regulating one’s attention, either for relaxation, self-realization, or growth and transcendence. This willful and purposeful regulation of attention can be broadly defined in two categories. 1) Focusing attention on a changing object (body scan, progressive muscle relaxation, or a movement practice such as yoga) 2) An unchanging repetitive object which is continuously …