My New Favorite Song
I just attended 4 day intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) this past week that was hosted by my DBT Team at The Family Institute. It was absolutely incredible! For those of you who are unfamiliar with DBT, it is a model of psychotherapy that combines the philosophies of behaviorism (how we learn to behave and what maintains or changes our behavior), the philosophy of dialectics (a way of looking at the world and the practice of synthesizing multiple perspectives), and the philosophy of Zen Buddhism.
Each morning of the training we would begin with a mindfulness meditation practice. The last morning of the conference, one of the trainers taught us a song about the benefits of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Han’s Plum Village called “Breathing In, Breathing Out” that we sang together mindfully. I was really moved by the song as it emphasizes how being mindful connects us with our sense of self-worth and strength as well as sets us free from patterns that encumber us. I found a great video on YouTube of a woman singing the song with the lyrics and the hand gestures (you have to do the hand gestures when you learn the song!) and wanted to share it with all of you. It’s such a soothing song and makes a great soundtrack for moments in your life where you may feel afraid or anxious or just stuck. Try singing it to yourself to see if it helps you shift in the moment to a more flexible and open space.
Thanks for reading!
To watch the video of the song, click here:
For more information on The Plum Village and great articles on mindfulness and mindful living, click here: http://www.plumvillage.org/
For more information on the Mindfulness and Behavioral Therapies Program at The Family Institute, click here: http://www.family-institute.org/therapy-counseling/specialized-services/mindfulness-behavior-therapies
Last but note least, here are links to our fabulous trainers! They are both doing really amazing work in supporting and developing psychotherapists to use evidenced-based methods:
Kelly Koerner, PhD: http://www.kellykoernerphd.com/page/page/2205291.htm
Charles Swenson, MD: http://www.behavioraltech.com/training/trainers.cfm?tid=13