Mindfulness approaches advocate an attitude of gentle acceptance and loving kindness towards our own thoughts and feelings as the way to change.
The paradox -- when we cease striving to change ourselves for what we belive is the better then we become what we truly are. Hopefully this is a good thing!
The theory is that much of our distress rises out of a sense of our wrongness and running away from discomfort - if we can sit with our feelings and thoughts and listen to ourselves then we can become our own wisest counsellors and loving parents. If we can stop beating ourselves up over what is wrong with us then we can release energy to focus on what is right. Freud spoke about the way in which unconscious conflicts use up energy and demand to be attended to.
Much psychic energy goes into defending ourselves against our sense of wrongness and may result in somatic signs of distress.
As usual the stuff we always knew like 'we flourish when we are loved and attended to' is now being proved by science and validated by research. Doh !
For a great introduction to the importance of early childhood relationships and the impact of 'love' or its absence on our brain development and capacity to love others and ourselves read "Why Love Matters" by Judith Gerhard. Fairly up to the minute neuroscience and common sense written by a psychotherapist and parent.
Advocates of this approach include Jon Kabat Zinn whom you can see on google lectures on youtube
Reading List
"A mindful Approach to Depresssion" - this comes with an excellent cd of relaxation exercises
"A Path with Heart" -- -Jack Kornfield
"Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert - this is enjoyable and easy to read unless you just find yourself hating the author - which is fine! Here she is -
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