27 september 2016

The professor Capella is Psychologist and Journalist, and stands out for her experience in this area of the psychology, since she is Qualified Instructor of the Programme: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR),given in the University of de Massachusetts. In addition, she has a large formation in different therapies based on this concept. Since 2013 she gives a programme of Mindfulness in the Centro Psyke, where she is director, as well as winter, spring and autumn courses, both Initiation and Maintenance.

So we wanted that it will be her who give us the keys to understand Mindfulness.

• Could you summarize what is Mindfulness?

Stress, worries, distractions and concerns affect all human beings. Learning to regulate us is highly beneficial for out health, because as it has been proved in many studies, it improves our immunological system and our natural defence in front of all kind all illnesses. 

Mindfulness or “full attention” is a natural state that may be enhanced with scientific proof techniques, that help to regulate situations of emotional stress and increases our welfare in general.

• Which are the benefits for those who enhance it day after day?

Learning to regulate us is highly beneficial for our health, because it improves our immunological system

In addition, it strengthens our neural networks through two ways: attention component that enhances capacities as mental clarity, strategic vision, the quality of the decision-making, and the concentration; and attitude component, that fosters qualities as patience, kindness, tolerance, equanimity and empathy.

• Which are the origins of Mindfulness?

Mindfulness comes from the Buddhist meditation more than 2.500 years ago. For Buddhism the root of suffering (Dukkha) comes from the mind, and it is there where it has to be worked. Jon Kabat-Zinn, biologist and meditator, is one of the pioneers in the clinic use and research in Mindfulness.  He created the programme Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in 1979 and he applied it in his patients in the Stress Reduction Clinic for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. From that moment is has increase the number of research studies that confirm its multiple benefits.

Mindfulness comes from the Buddhist meditation more than 2.500 years ago

• ¿Cómo se debe entrenar este “estado natural”?

• Which is the appropriate way to train this “sate of mind”

Application areas are different: work environment education, eating disorders, or in addictions: but Mindfulness begins at home: it is a personal and subjective experience”

The training is based in formal and informal practice: Formal practice consists in taking the necessary time to sit, to lye or to stand, focusing our attention in respiration, the body and sounds.  The objective is to realise when our mind has distracted us.

The training is based in the formal and informal practice.

Informal practice consists in paying attention to daily activities in any moment of the day, wherever we are.  We have to learn to stop and open our mind to know what we do while we do it. These so-called “mindful activities” take out of the autopilot in which we live most part of the dau and take us to new ways of see and be in our lives. 

El entrenamiento se basa en la práctica formal y la informal

La práctica informal consiste en prestar atención a las actividades cotidianas, en cualquier momento del día, estemos donde estemos. Se trata de saber pararnos y abrir la conciencia para saber lo que hacemos mientras lo hacemos. Estas denominadas “actividades mindful” nos sacan del piloto automático en el que vivimos la mayor parte del día y nos conducen a nuevas formas de ver y estar en nuestras vidas.

• ¿Qué requisitos se necesitan para impartirlo?

Para poder transmitir adecuadamente Mindfulness, es aconsejable encarnarlo (como forma de ser y estar en el mundo), con lo que la práctica personal y regular es necesaria. Aunque no es imprescindible ser psicólogo para impartirlo, según un estudio de Crane et al.(2012): el 83% de los profesionales que imparten Mindfulness o MBIs, lo son. Diversos estudios indican que los psicólogos que lo aplican en su práctica clínica y se entrenan con regularidad, mantienen y actualizan las habilidades necesarias para lograr un buen vínculo terapéutico.

• Which therapies incorporate exercises of Mindfulness?

Moreover, specific therapies of compassion are other aspect of Mindfulness. 

One of the pioneer programmes is the Minfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBRS), however, eith the time have emerged others like Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention. But, in addition, other therapies include this concept in its sessions:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): for people with borderline personality disorder Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): cantered in conduct. Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP): help to focus attention.