Your Inner Superpower for Navigating Life’s Challenges
Mindfulness is often described as a powerful way to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs. To understand more about this powerful tool, we talked with Lisa Kring, LCSW, mindfulness teacher, and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) integration therapist, who likens mindfulness to an inner “superpower,” something that’s within all of us, just waiting to be cultivated. “We’re all born with an inner ‘superpower’ called mindfulness; we simply need to cultivate it,” she explains. With mindfulness, we gain the ability to pause and choose our responses rather than reacting automatically. This shift in our response, Kring says, allows us to “become the heroes in our own lives.”
What Is Mindfulness?
So, what exactly is mindfulness? Mindfulness is more than just a concept; it’s a particular way of paying attention. It’s a balanced, nonreactive, and nonjudgmental quality of awareness that creates an inner space, allowing one to respond with clarity and calm. Kring describes mindfulness as an "internal technology" that brings us the power to engage with life intentionally, “From a mindfulness perspective, it is not what is happening, but how we respond to what is happening, that determines our experience.”
Mindfulness has been around for thousands of years, with roots in ancient Eastern practices, especially Buddhism, where it was a way to stay present and cultivate inner peace. Over time, it found its way into mainstream Western culture, thanks to teachers like Thích Nhất Hạnh, the “father of mindfulness” and later Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist and meditation practitioner who developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts. Kabat-Zinn demonstrated that mindfulness practices could effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and pain, which gained attention within healthcare and psychology fields. Now, mindfulness is everywhere, from meditation apps to corporate wellness programs, advertising its potential for improvements in mental health and well-being across diverse aspects of life.
How Do You Practice Mindfulness?
What does practicing mindfulness mean? Mindfulness invites us to observe our experiences, including challenging ones, without rushing to judge or resist them. It creates a pause between stimulus and response, a space where we can choose to react with patience and understanding rather than fear or anger. This is the “radical inner power of mindfulness,” Kring says, as it allows us to shift from a mindless reaction to mindful response. In challenging situations, the natural human response might be to react impulsively or with heightened emotion, such as anger or anxiety. Mindfulness, as Kring explains, allows us to “choose to respond with wisdom, calm, love, kindness, courage, compassion, or clarity.” By tuning into what’s happening internally, our thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions, we can respond in ways that serve us better.
One simple yet powerful mindfulness practice Kring suggests is called STOP, an acronym that stands for Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed. Here’s how it works:
- Stop – Pause whatever you’re doing and acknowledge the stress.
- Take a Breath– Shift your focus to your breath, letting it bring you back to the present moment.
- Observe – Notice the physical sensations, thoughts, or emotions arising. Let them come and go without interference or judgment.
- Proceed – From this more balanced place, consider how best to respond to the situation.
This practice provides a concrete way to pause and recalibrate, helping you approach any situation with greater awareness and choice. “STOP can help us learn that it is actually our reactions that are causing our stresses, not the stressors themselves,” Kring says. “In any stressful wave of life, through this simple practice, we can stop, breathe, observe, and proceed in a less reactive and more skillful way, and before you know it…you’re surfing!”
A foundational component of mindfulness is the mind-body connection. According to Kring, “Mindfulness is essentially experiential. It is not conceptual…because the body is always here, in every moment.” By anchoring ourselves to the present through bodily sensations, like our breath, we can stay grounded even in times of stress. When the mind and body are in harmony, we’re more likely to feel balanced, resilient, and healthy.
Who Can Benefit from Mindfulness?
Mindfulness isn’t just for meditation enthusiasts or those seeking spiritual growth; it’s beneficial for anyone experiencing life’s stresses. In fact, mindfulness can be especially powerful during difficult times. Kring reminds us, “Stress is natural to our existence, due to the constantly changing ups and downs. While we can’t stop the ‘waves’ of life, from a mindfulness perspective, we can learn how to surf them.” By shifting our focus to the present and grounding ourselves through physical anchors like our breath, we can manage stress from the inside out, regulating our emotions and responses.
Mindfulness is more than a stress management tool; it’s a way to cultivate inner strength and resilience. Mindfulness is our own inner superpower because it doesn’t depend on external circumstances. As Kring puts it, “Mindfulness is always available within us and is not dependent on external conditions being any particular way.” By building this inner strength, we become equipped to face whatever life throws our way, knowing we have the tools to handle it skillfully and compassionately. Through a consistent mindfulness practice, we can learn to navigate life’s inevitable waves with grace and self-compassion.
As Kring highlights, the beauty of mindfulness lies in its accessibility—it’s always within us, waiting to be activated. Through mindful practices like STOP, we gain the ability to face challenges with clarity and courage, choosing responses that align with our values. By incorporating mindfulness practices into our daily routine, we are better equipped to lead balanced, intentional, and fulfilling lives.
FAQs
1. Am I eligible for ketamine therapy?
2. Does insurance cover the cost of ketamine therapy?
3. How many ketamine treatments will I need?
We recommend two initial treatments to determine suitability and adjust dosage. After these sessions, additional treatments are available based on your progress and specific requirements.