Mindfulness: thoughts and emotions

Hi I have a few questions for those who might be able to shed their light please.

1. We are not our thoughts and I know that now after a life time of believing every thought. I want to practice mindfulness and observe the thoughts but not give into them. Which book would help in grasping this technique the Dare Book or The Power Of Now? Just asking to know which book to purchase for those you have read them.

2. As we are not to buy into our thoughts while meditating and just letting them pass by as they say and being mindful, how do we feel our emotions when they come up and not ignore them during meditation?
They say we should feel our emotions in our body so they can pass through us but what if emotions come up while mediating and focusing on our breath?

I mean when I anxiety comes up during mediation we acknowledge that anxiety is present and we focus on our breath to move through this but how about all other emotions that we are not suppose to ignore?
Apologies if my message doesn't make so much sense, I am trying to explain it the best I can.

 

To jump on @JanAtheCPA 's bandwagon, if you haven't yet read a book by Claire Weekes
https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Overcome_Anxiety_with_Dr._Claire_Weekes (Overcome Anxiety with Dr. Claire Weekes)

I would recommend doing so before reading books on mindfulness. It will help you see how much of what Claire Weekes writes about and authors like Eckhart Tolle have in common.

 

Hmm....you have me pondering this one @JanAtheCPA
If we allow our emotions, we won't be available to be on high alert to wooly mammoth dangers.

I hadn't thought of it that way and yet that feeling of having to be on high alert at all times, especially during times of a believed health issue, is so prevalent.
I never noticed that experiencing emotions takes us away from our alert duty but that is so true.
That must be why some people get very anxious during or after a deep massage.

 

Me too, you had me thinking about this!

 

Hello everyone, I have been on this journey for many years and it feels like the closer I get to myself, the more extreme my symptoms. Whilst I have read a thread like this one before, this is the first time I have read it and I really understand how the life long anxiety I have suffered from and other TMS symptoms are a distraction, a protection from me accessing myself. I can really feel that now. I'm finding it hard not to panic and believe predictions about my future right now but I really feel I need to protect my little inner child who really needs an adult right now to walk her through this and just keep telling her on repeat "it's going to be ok".

 

We are good at catastrophizing aren't we?
It's not real.
I think it's our way of protecting ourselves in case the worst possible things happen. We try to acclimate ourselves by playing it out in our mind.
How will we feel? What will we do? What will it be like. We want a jump on that.
And so we end up living our life as if things are happening that aren't.

In the area of grief, some of us grieve "in advance." I certainly did with my parents. When my parents were diagnosed my mind and my body went into panic mode. Most people are able to wait until the bad event actually happens before they go full board into it. As strange as it sounds, when my parents died it wasn't half as bad as the worrying about and thinking about it and panicking about it.

As you say that little one inside of us needs to know it's safe, it's loved, it knows what it needs to know to live and survive.

 

This is it! Keep it up.

 

@Booble ~ I know what you mean about grieving in advance. My mum was diagnosed with cancer 7 years ago. I had known she was ill for sometime before her diagnosis and went through the whole grieving process. When she actually had her operation and was then given the all clear I couldn't believe it!! She's is still alive now. What we put ourselves through hey.

 

Thank you @Diana-M.

 

That's wonderful about your mum!
And yes, terrible how we feel like we MUST assume the worst.
I'm always surprised at people who assume the best. It somehow feels wrong to assume the best. Yet isn't that a wonderful for people who can do that and be able to keep on living and not withdraw to their cave of catastrophes?

 

Thank you so much for suggesting Claire Weeks, I think I do need to read the book because TMS is anxiety and I've heared only good things about her and her book.

 

I appreciate so very much for answering each and everyone of my questions. Your answers have helped me to put things in order as to how to go about mediation.
Thanks for taking the time to do this, it's put my mind at ease.

 

Hi Betty Boop,
For what it’s worth, I’m not sure you have to do anything very technical or perfect to meditate. (But maybe others here know. ) About 20 years ago I had severe anxiety come over me, with full blown panic attacks, which feel like heart attacks. Very scary. I didn’t want to leave the house. I started “meditating,” which was really just pretending I was in a quiet countryside in the evening in some hills. (It was actually a religious scene for me. I pictured being with the shepherds on Christmas night in Bethlehem). At any rate, for me it was a very soothing image filled with spiritual and mental peace. I started with about 10 minutes a day, sitting quietly in the same chair every day. Then I increased it ultimately to 2 times a day for 30 minutes each. At the end of a year, my panic was gone. I keep thinking I should do this again, since I know it worked to calm me down, but I haven’t built up to a regular schedule yet.