04: Living Mindfully

Darrin Ford is the special guest I would like to introduce you to today. Darrin is also a sponsor for the upcoming Shine Retreat.    Today, Darrin and I will discuss changing the word "mindfulness" from a trendy buzzword to something tangible that we can apply to our lives and use as a way to tune in to ourselves, to learn and to grow as we move through this journey called life.   Darrin Ford is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in treating addictive disorders. His practice began in Long Beach, California and has extended over the years to include treatment centers in West Los Angeles and Orange County. As co-founder of Sano Center for Recovery, he currently serves as the chief executive officer, runs intensive workshops, and mentors new therapists. He is a certified Sex Addiction Therapist Supervisor, who was trained directly by the pioneer of the field, Dr. Patrick Carnes. He also has Founded The Mindfulness Academy of Addiction and Trauma Training with Mari Lee LMFT, CSAT-S, MBAT-S AKA The Counselors Coach and CEO of Growth Counseling Services. In his years of treating those afflicted with addiction, he ascertained the keystone of mindfulness in breaking free from old patterns, habits, and ways of thinking. Steeped in his passion for science and Buddhist philosophy, he co-wrote the Mindfulness-Based Addiction Therapy Certification Program (MBAT™). His expertise in the field of addictive behaviors can be found in the program, which takes a modern approach to Eastern techniques in exploring the mind. His next book, Awakening to the Addictive Mind: A Story of and Guide to Addiction, sheds an intimate light on his own struggles and how he came to help others on a path he is intimately familiar with. His upcoming book will be available in 2018 Darrin is also available for public speaking events and coaching. For more information please visit www.darrinford.com.   Mari Lee, my co-host for the upcoming Shine Retreat for Women, and I would like to extend a personal invitation for you to join us September 27th - 29th, at this restorative women's retreat, the ultimate self-care weekend where every woman is welcomed. You will be among friends! I encourage you to email me or Mari Lee at [email protected] to receive a $50 discount code off registration. Shine Retreat is limited to 40 women, and it's filling up fast, so be sure to register at https://www.shineretreatforwomen.com/.                 Show Highlights:   Mindfulness: Looking at the "mind" in that word.  Is this accurate? Is what my mind telling me aligning with where I am at with my environment and everything right now? Getting as accurate alignment with reality as possible Impulsivity and habits becoming our destiny  Conditioning the mind and recreating conflict Mindfulness exercise activities Addiction at its core is an intimacy disorder Using mindfulness for anger management and conflict resolution We're sometimes not aware that we use mindfulness Using focus to move into practices that cultivate more mindfulness Suggestions for moments of pause Practice: very simple, but not always easy Compassion is not altruism  Constructive and destructive compassion Destructive compassion helps someone feel better in the short run, but is destructive in the long run. Constructive compassion helps someone heal in the long run, but may anger the person offered it in the short run. Emotions rise, crest, and fall, and as humans beings, we can expect this. Offering ourselves compassion through the distress of feeling an emotion When the pain becomes too overwhelming, we have to have the presence of mind to reach out and share it with someone so they can be present for the process. If someone is suffering from psychotic symptoms, or somebody who has other symptoms of detachment from reality, we wouldn't want to you to be practicing mindfulness, as it wouldn't help. Enlisting expert help Overwhelming evidence of how mindfulness works with the neuroplasticity of the brain Darrin shares what's coming up in his work                         Resources:   Her Life Unscripted Facebook Page, give it a LIKE!  https://www.facebook.com/herlifeunscripted/     Links to Darrin's websites:   www.sanopress.com  www.sanorecovery.com www.TMAATT.com www.DarrinFord.com      Special Invitation:   Shine Retreat is coming up September 27th - 29th, 2019.     Registration at: https://www.shineretreatforwomen.com/   Email me at [email protected] to receive a $50 discount code off registration.   You can also reach me at [email protected].   "Shine Retreat" is limited to 40 women.