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In Hong Kong, the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) is very popular in recent years. This is related to the uprising work pressure and hostility in our society. MBSR, originally derived from Buddhist traditions, combined with Western medicine and psychotherapy, has become a fine-tuned prescription for many people (including teachers) as mental self-care. Mindful Parenting, mindful diet, mindful yoga as well as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)… have emerged.
Mindfulness in brief is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences in the present moment. Mindfulness practice has been employed to reduce symptoms of depression, to reduce stress and anxiety. The practice may also be a preventive strategy to halt the development of mental-health problems. Mindfulness practice is claimed to be independent of the religious and cultural traditions of their origins. Thus it becomes more appetizing to the general public who is unwilling to adopt Buddhist traditions.
By practicing mindfulness, participants can reduce their overall arousal and emotional reactivity and to gain a deeper sense of calmness. Health problems such as depression, chronic pain, stress, fatigue, sleep problems are improved. It is said that mindfulness practice can help one to better understand oneself and cultivate empathy, acceptance and love for others. There are schools that use this as the theme of teacher professional development and learning modules for students.
Mindfulness can bring relaxation to the body and mind, by focusing on the present, putting aside the past and the future. Mindfulness practice believes that when people are fully aware of the present, their minds can be changed. In the end, they can regain the richness and joy of life. This mode of physical and mental unity seems to enter the realm of the spiritual world. At basic level it can reduce stress, reaching body-mind balance. Advanced practice may touch on the trauma of the past, aiming at self-repair.
However, mindfulness embraces a very different orientation compared with Christian spiritual practice. Christianity believes that man is created by God and is a spiritual living being. In the professional development workshops I prepared for teachers, spiritual care and nurture is the core of program design. I found that many teachers were physically exhausted and mentally frustrated, with lots of unresolved emotions and tensions. Christian faith recognizes the weakness and sinful nature of human beings, while negative emotions and experiences have their spiritual dimensions. Spiritual practice and nurture must be directed to the ultimate meaning of life and our Creator, encountered through the Word of God. Meditation of the Holy Scripture and prayer can prevent us from falling into the emptiness of searching the inner self.
Christianity has a rich spiritual tradition of meditation and contemplation. Christian meditation employs imagination and rational understanding. It is a deliberate process of focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of God’s love, thereby arousing the consciousness of God’s presence. The contemplative journey keeps a person in contact with his own heart and puts aside all the activities of the outside world and the soul, focusing on the Lord. These are different ways of prayer, leading to the spiritual realm of "the presence of God", which may result in total joy and peace. Meditation and contemplation are not for mental self-repair, but for the love of the Lord. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we meditate on the Word of God, observing the attributes of God's beauty, and eager to connect with God in love, generating a transformed life attitude from within.
Since we have rich Christian spiritual practice traditions in the past and more resources are now accessible, everyone is encouraged to use them to help oneself abide in the love of the Lord, regain better mental health and enjoy a lively spiritual life.
Servant pastor
Rev. Benedict Shum
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