I have just got back from my fourth mindfulness course and I have to say I am very much enjoying it. As part of our review today we reviewed how the previous weeks homework went and I said something that I wanted to write down in the hope that it reinforces the experience.

Mindfulness has not removed my pain and sufferring but has provided me with choice. Before the mindfulness course I would find that an unpleasant event would trigger a stream of thoughts and feelings with little or no real thought on my part (autopilot!). The result of the unpleasant event would be obvious, inevitable and unchangeable - I knew this from experience. However, now with a greater awareness of my thoughts and feelings I find that acknowledging the unpleasant events usually removes some the negativity from the event. It isn't that the event gets forgotten or put to one side but it is like the event loses some of it's power and impact. Rather than consuming all my energy I find that other events and feelings get more room and more choices become available and I feel much more in control.