Mindfulness and asperger's

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Is it possible to successfully use mindfulness techniques as an aspie? We tend to be over-analytical which is counterproductive for the mindfulness practices. Also I have read that there could be some disconnect between the thinking and feeling brains of the Aspies, which could further complicate things.

What I mean is not only to use mindfulness as a temporary anxiety relief, but to succeed in doing so for the long-term and thus more permanently see the world in a more novel and pleasant way while directly experiencing it, rather than as a more ordinary/dull world of labels that we usually see the world as.

I'd like to hear your experiences on this.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/mindfulness

MIndfulness might be the miracle cure for me. It is very difficult to explain but no one single thing has improved my mental health more than mindfulness.

To a small extent, yes, I can. I don't see any reason it would be impossible, but you're right, the analyzing makes it tough.

Yep. Mindfulness helps me bunches and bunches.

I have no found it to be a cure-all, unfortunately. If I allow a situation to escalate into a full-blown meltdown then I pretty much have to just let the episode run its course.

I don't really get mindfulness, I've had therapists bring it up and such but I just can't seem to grasp the concept. It confuses me, especially since its not like i only feel bad if I am not in the exact moment, and sometimes when I am not in the moment its because I space out or the situation is too much so my mind tries going to something else.

I guess it also works better when the moment is good, but if the moment sucks to then focusing on that isn't going to make you feel better at least in my experience.

Since I have medicaid now maybe I can find some sort of therapy thats not CBT and has less focus on mindfulness...but who knows.

That's not how I see the world.

I don't have thinking problems. I have processing problems. Mindfulness DOES NOT help me.
It makes things worse; actually: I already have problems with not being able to shut sensory stimuli out, and I'm supposed to pay MORE attention?

The therapist who suggested that and CBT can go f**k herself.
(Can you tell that I'm angry with her?)

Not meaning to run you down, OP; this stuff is just a sore point with me at present.

it could help a lot actually, especially since we are usually that analytical; the difference with 'normal' and therefor the effect can be greater becouse of it.

i myself dont practice mindfullness, but i do regularly meditate for great effect. i also have developed a few techniques to meditate around other people without them really noticing (i suppose they are simular to mindfullness practices, but that's coincidence) which does wonders to my social anxiety.

We are not just analytical, we are also very sensory oriented.

Mindfulness - at least, being aware of the senses in one's body - can be a great tool for Aspies to manage their emotions. Focusing on my body tells me quickly which muscles are tense, and I start to relax my shoulders, etc. It can also help to break the cycle of obsessive thoughts when I am upset. Listening to the senses in my body is calming.

My psychologist taught me about mindfulness and he specialises in ASD.

I don't think I really understand it either.

I can see how this might help but the problem is paralysis by analysis. I've often described how it feels to be an Aspie as similar to steering a boat, you always need to devote some attention to the task of daily living but sometimes it's all hands on deck and sometimes you can kick back with a beer and just steer with one big toe.

Maybe I am making this too simple, but when therapists talk mindfulness to me, it seems to be a combination of acknowledging and including in awareness and acknowledging then removing painful stimuli.

Just to become aware the light is too bright and the computer screen glare has made my head hurt at work helps me, as it's often hard to notice why I'm tense. Once I do, I can turn the screen down or in some other way make a change that helps at times.

I didn't get that far with the two therapists that tried to encourage mindfulness, though helps some for sure. However, both took on responsibility for helping with the overstimulation. One by adjusting lights down, one turned off the buzz of his computer I had not even realized was bothering me. Only sort of had.

I'd be furious too, though, if they'd asked I figure it out and do it all on my own, it takes some help to do this.

It is very helpful to me.

I was introduced to it through the martial arts and it was the best stress relief in the most difficult time of my life when I was starting to work. I don't think I would have made it with out it.

It is not paying more attention to your senses, it's paying enough attention to the working of your consciousness that you can interrupt habitual processes and focus your attention deliberately. You may use a sense or senses to do that (e.g., the tactile sensations of breathing.)

I have practiced mindfulness at periods in my life. I learned about it from the works of Ken Wilber (who referred to it as "continuous consciousness") and engaged in it as a spiritual practice through my mid to late twenties. It made me feel fully present in my body and my life, and created very vivid memories. (Contrary to what you might think, paying attention while experiencing pain doesn't make it hurt more, either.) In the end, I abandoned it as a full-time discipline because it made no space for reverie, which is also a valuable state of consciousness to me.

I don't think it would be any more difficult for an Aspie to practice mindfulness, but it would be difficult for an Aspie with attention problems. You could improve your own control over your attention (within the limits of your neurology) by at least attempting it.

I think I'm incapable of understanding what mindfulness actually is. It's one of those concepts that goes straight over my head, and makes no sense to me.

I can't meditate either; my brain just always goes full-speed. I don't get it.

The words in bold describe my understanding of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the discipline of bringing your awareness or attention to the present moment.

It is developed through meditative exercises designed to make one aware of the habitual mental activity that draws the attention away from the present moment. One becomes familiar with self-observation and non-critical analysis of one's own cognitive activity.

The typical introduction is meditation on the breath, or perhaps on the sensation of some small edible items in the mouth, such as raisins or nuts. People often get mislead by the idea that one is supposed ot "empty one's mind" this is not the case at all. Rather, the goal is become aware of the tendency to revisit memories (Did I remember to turn off the gas before leaving for work? Should I have said that to my boss? Why did the man on the corner give me that peculiar look when we walked past each other?) or inhabit imagined futures (will I be asked to come to a party on Friday? Do I need to wash clothes for the second half of the week? If I kiss my lover in the morning will she be pleased or annoyed?) The typical mind is constantly full of this sort of thought projected into the past or future. One's awareness moves from thought to thought like a bumblebee gathering pollen.

The goal of meditating on the sensation of breathing is to pull awareness away from it's habitual jumping from focus to focus in the habitual way. No one expects that activity to stop altogether, but the goal during such meditative practice is to acknowledge the thought and then refocus on the breath without getting sidetracked by the thought or caught up in related emotions

Example:
You breath in through the nose and feel the air flowing into your lungs.
You become aware of a small muscular pain in your right ankle.
"I am experiencing pain in my ankle," you acknowledge and then return your focus to the air as it fills your lungs.
You recall that your mother in law is coming to visit on the weekend. You start to recall your last conversation about this.
"I am thinking about my mother in law's visit," you acknowledge and then return your focus to the air as it empties from your lungs and you breathe out through your mouth.
You suddenly think that you are getting the hang of this and wonder what happens next.
"I am thinking about progress in my meditation," you acknowledge and then return your attention to your breath as you begin to draw air in through your nose again.
Etc.

It brings relaxation, focus and the awareness that you can choose what to think about and how to tune your awareness to focus on that thing.

I think this is something that comes naturally to many on the spectrum because it is similar to what we already do when we hyperfocus.

The thing to bear in mind is that it is a very simple process, although people mythologize it.