Mindfulness Meditation & Self-Compassion | CAN

Mindfulness Meditation & Self-Compassion

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Matthew Frum
Mindfulness Meditation & Self-Compassion

Hi Everyone, I am new here and am enjoying reading the helpful posts on this forum. I just wanted to share this resource with all of you who are dealing with the extremely high stress of caregiving. I worked for many years in hospice as a caregiver (CNA) and currently am a part-time family caregiver for my mom. I am also a former Buddhist monk and a meditation instructor. Mindfulness meditation is one of the most simple and helpful things that I have found when caregiving. It has allowed me to feel more calm, happy and attentive, and has helped me to work with my self-judgments and feel more self-compassion, which I feel has helped me to have a lot less frustration and more compassion towards others. You may think that you have no time to meditate, but actually it only takes a few minutes to begin to feel a difference. And because mindfulness is simply the practice of paying attention to the present moment, it can be brought into any of our caregiving activities, making them more enjoyable and relaxing. Here is a very simple mindfulness meditation that you can try right now, if you like: Ask yourself, "Do I have a body?" Then just notice all the sensations in your body for a little while. If you notice any tension or pain, rather than resisting these sensations and wanting to make them go away, try opening to them just as they are, with a sense of gentleness and care. It can help to close your eyes. Even doing this for a minute or two can make a big difference. And this is just one example of how mindfulness meditation can become a practice of self-compassion. If you are interested in learning more about this, I offer regular free online mindfulness webinars for fellow caregivers at http://CalmCare.org Wishing all of you well, Matthew

ML
ML's picture
Thankyou

Thank-you for these suggestions.

nicky22
This is right
kandisdaughter
Thanks

Thanks for the info it sounds promising, it's certainly better than what I've been doing which is crying and crying a lot.

heaven711
heaven711's picture
Thank you, Matthew

Thank you for offering a tangible resource! I cannot speak for everyone, but I am looking for an actual resources that will help. Like Kandisdaughter, I have been spending less and less time doing anything enjoyable or productive, and more and more time crying uncontrollably. The result is nothing but physical headaches, fatigue and lethargy. I have found it hard to pray or meditate, but here I am, and I will look at the link. God bless you as you have blessed me.