Georgina Hudson: "Mindfulness is a lifestyle"

Not all forms of psychotherapeutic intervention have been created from scratch in the context of an Experimental Psychology laboratory, or at a university. Some have taken as initial reference, or even as inspiration, behaviors that have arisen in a way totally disconnected from the work of psychologists.

This This is the case of Mindfulness or Full Attention, a therapeutic resource that, although it was created by a team of researchers from scientific methodologies, is based on ancient meditation practices used in Buddhism and Hinduism. In this interview with Georgina Hudson we will talk about it.

• Related article: "Meditation exercises (practical guide and benefits)"

Interview with Georgina Hudson: how Mindfulness complements the therapeutic approach

Georgina Hudson is a life coach and mindfulness expert., a very useful therapeutic resource that is inspired by the ancient vipassana meditation, from the Indian subcontinent. In this interview she tells us precisely about the benefits of it in the context of mental health.

What is the main idea on which Mindfulness applied to mental health is based?

The main idea is that mindfulness facilitates the observation of our internal experience. In this way we leave a space between all the material we bring and us. It is in that space where discernment is found to be able to manage our most difficult emotions.

By being more aware of our inner universe, it is easier for us to attend to it. Mindfulness is an active practice towards openness, full awareness, and the unfolding of our potential. I cannot imagine my Transpersonal Therapy and Transformational Coaching sessions without this calm inner contemplation that we carry out with clients in a systematic way.

Can the exercises that Mindfulness branches into be easily learned?

It all depends on each person and the desire and commitment they have to learn. When I started I was so determined that I downloaded an app and it was extremely easy for me to take the first steps. Then I wanted to delve deeper into Mindfulness and that's when I did my certification. In my practice, my clients incorporate the vision and techniques of Mindfulness in each session.

A person trained in Mindfulness can facilitate the understanding of its concepts and the adoption of the different techniques in a personalized way, guaranteeing their effectiveness. That being said, for those who want to try it out on their own, there are online tutorials, videos, and podcasts. On my website, there is a lot of free material on Mindfulness and Mindfulness meditations. It's worth starting!

Based on your experience working with Mindfulness, do you consider that Mindfulness is versatile as a therapeutic resource?

Yeah. In the collective imagination, the word Mindfulness is associated only with meditation, but this is only a technique. Mindfulness is a lifestyle. My clients intentionally observe themselves, accepting what happens to them, and without judging themselves in the here and now. This helps them discern between what is really happening and the tales being told. Mindfulness soothes and calms us in the moments where we feel most charged.

Could you give some examples of how Mindfulness adapts to the perspectives and philosophical foundations of different currents of psychotherapy?

Both in psychotherapy and in coaching what is promoted is the observation and knowledge of oneself in order to transform ourselves. A person who can see, notice, and be more aware of what is happening to them has a much better chance of healing and/or acting in the areas that require it. The different currents of Humanistic psychology such as, for example, the Deep psychology of jung, Positive Psychology, and Transpersonal Psychology, promote an approach to therapy that stops be exclusively from the neck up, or exclusively mental, to integrate the body into its whole.

From this vision, it is in the deliberate search in the depths of our being that we will find our internal compass. We are all born with it but we lose it when we disconnect from our Being/"Self" or lucid Self. Mindfulness offers us a direct path to our interior.

Once the person has learned to take their first steps in the world of Mindfulness in the psychotherapy sessions, you can practice mindfulness autonomously without depending on a professional?

Mindfulness can be applied to meditation, to the way we speak, eat, and relate to others autonomously. Once the person has made the "click" and has begun to transform, many of the mindfulness tools can be put into practice without the need for a professional. Regarding the work of challenging emotions assisted by mindfulness, it is recommended that the person be accompanied by a professional who can provide her with an empathic, curious, compassionate, and container space to work on what happens to her.

Can Mindfulness be a help to prevent relapses in mental health problems, once the therapy process has finished?

Mindfulness is a wonderful training so that we can relate to what happens to us in a more calm way. It will help us reflect on our experience without getting overwhelmed or stuck to it.

As the calm that is achieved with Mindfulness is conducive to positive emotions such as gratitude, compassion, empathy, and satisfaction, among others, it is inevitable that there will be a change in the perception of who we are, of what we want, of what guides us, and that there will be a change of mentality that favor. Relapses will be there but their management will be more effective when we have incorporated Mindfulness as a way of life.