Episode 26: Understanding Anxiety
Episode 26 of M3CS’s Contemplative Science Podcast saw Lynn Koerbel come on to the show to talk about anxiety, trauma, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Kashmir Shaivism and more!
For the full podcast, check out the episode here.
In this episode, we cover...
How MBSR achieves best results by ‘following what each person needs’.
The unique relationship of mindfulness and anxiety: how and why it acts as relief.
Inspirations for her work, including Jon Kabat-Zinn and David A. Treleaven.
Lynn Koerbel is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at the Brown University School of Public Health. She has spent over 25 years as integrative bodywork therapist, currently trains and teaches MBSR teachers, and co-authored A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety.
Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...
MBSR - and mindfulness practice in general - is all about individual needs.
”We're all wired differently enough that we all have preferences. We all have things that constitutionally we're going to lean into or lean away from. And so we don't have to think of it as being like, "Oh, I don't do it right" or, you know, "They do it right and I don't" - it's more of like, what works for me?”
Being aware and engaged with our body’s response to anxiety supports healing.
”Through that relationship with the body - that is the processing of emotion. Just crying when you need to cry or just looking at the thoughts is usually not quite enough. It's like this ongoing relating with ourselves in a particular way. I would say this is where mindfulness comes in - knowing something about the body, coming in close to it, being willing to listen, knowing how to respond, learning through those things. That is what supports healing.”
We are born with the innate ability to be mindful - through practice we can discover it.
”What we’re actually doing is uncovering these capacities. It’s not like learning French if you’re an Italian, it’s not an out there kind of skill. We’re cultivating something that’s already here.”
The best place to find Lynn Koerbel is here.
See you next week!
