MINDFULNESS AND BODY METAPHORS

ACT CONSISTENT EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES

Lic. Manuela O´Connell, Argentinamanuela.oconnell@gmail.com

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WORKSHOP COMPASS

Introduction: exercises frame

Experiencing and sharing the two metaphors

Discuss the mechanism behind those metaphors in

relation with ACT and RFT

Languaging

Possible settings

Conclusions

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SOME DEFINITIONS

What's a metaphor?

What's mindfulness?

Why using the body?

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SOME DEFINITIONS

What's a metaphor?• A metaphor is understanding and experiencing one

kind of thing in terms of another (Lakoff & Johnson).

• In terms of ACT and RFT is relating relations.

• A metaphor is like an amphora.

• The advantage of metaphors is that they allow the

listener to generate his or hers own conclusions

about the experience.

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SOME DEFINITIONS

What's mindfulness?• Mindfulness is “paying attention on purpose, in the

present moment, non-judgmentally to the unfolding of

the experience moment by moment” (Jon Kabat-Zinn).

• Mindfulness invites the clients to a process of learning

from the 5 senses experience.

• Mindfulness is an embodied practice.

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SOME DEFINITIONS

Why using the body?• The body inevitably connects us to the sense of here and

now.

• Body experiences helps us discriminate between 5

senses experiences and thoughts.

• The mind uses the body to make sense of abstract ideas.

The intention of mindfulness body metaphors is to

target act major issue: psychological flexibility

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GOING ALONG WITH THE PROCESS

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THE TWO HANDS SIDES OF A SITUATION

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METAPHORS FROM RFT POINT OF VIEW

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Metaphor: a relation of coordination between non-arbitrary relations

…….is like……

Same

Arbitrary crel for coordination

Vehicle Target

Same sort of feeling = Non-arbitrary Crel for coordination

Relational

network

Relational network

METAPHORS FROM AN ACT POINT OF VIEW

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Acceptance

Defusion

Self as a context

Contact with the present moment

Values

Comitted Actions

Psychological flexibility

LANGUAGING

What do we say before the metaphor?

No explicit, inductive or imaginary instructions of what to feel to

make room for the client to explore his or her own landscape

Let client extract his or her own meaning

Highlight the non arbitrary properties you wish to transfer to the

target when guiding the metaphor

The metaphor should fit the problem

Use of silence and time

Direct instructions that connects to the direct experience

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CONCLUSIONS

Focus on the here and now, and to observe what is

happening in the natural environment rather than relying

on thought of what is happening

Mindfulness body metaphors are useful to teach new

responses in difficult emotional contexts

Physical sensations are a privilege vehicle

Construct your own tailored metaphor

Use them in different settings

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