Page 122 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 13

Comment to “Body- Kelvin F. Mutter

oriented mindfulness (DTh, MTh, MTS,
BA, BTh) is Asso-
exercises in a Christian ciate Professor of
and
Counselling
context” Spiritual Care at
McMaster Divini-
by Kelvin F. Mutter (Canada) ty College at Mc-
Universi-
Master
ty, Hamilton, ON,
The academic and popular literature attests to Canada as well as a
what appears to be the universal acceptance of psychotherapist whose clinical work includes
incorporating mindfulness practices within a individuals who have experienced significant
variety of treatment settings and its function as emotional, social, or physical trauma.
a general tool for coping with life’s stresses. In
recent years various writers have proposed that
a type of mindfulness may be experienced by le and experiencing an encounter with God.”
individuals when Christian themes or practices This relational focus lifts mindfulness out of
are incorporated within mindfulness practice the realm of becoming at peace with oneself, or
(Ford & Garzon, 2017; Fox, Gutierrez, Haas, & being a utilitarian action like taking medicine
Durnford, 2016; Plante, 2017; Rosales & Tan, which if there is no relief for the physical and
2017). psychological symptoms only serves to devalue
In this brief article Helma Ziegler provides a the practice.
moving autobiographical account of her expe- While there is much I appreciated about this
rience working in Cairo with individuals who article, its focus on body-oriented mindfulness
experienced cultural violence and in Berlin with highlighted a question that I face in my clinical
people who live with the stresses of modern life. practice with individuals who live in physical
This first-person account is balanced by Jo- pain following a physically traumatic accident.
hannes Haack’s reflections on the theory and Specifically, I found myself wishing the authors
practice of body-oriented mindfulness prac- had said more about the use of Christian bo-
tice. Similarly, Johannes Haack’s differentiation dy-oriented mindfulness with individuals for
between Christian and Buddhist approaches to whom the disquiet of the soul is linked to li-
mindfulness finds its balance in Helma Ziegler’s ving in physical pain. I acknowledge that this is
brief description of the contribution of the de- a reflection of my context. Indeed, I very much
sert fathers to both her thinking and her prac- appreciate the tone and balance of this article
tice. Indeed, the use of these ancient Christian and look forward to learning more of the fruit
practices is one feature of this article that makes of the research occurring in Germany that the
it significant. authors refer to in this article.
As second significant feature of this article is
the authors’ depictions of Christian mindful- Refrences:
ness and spiritual practice as an expression of Ford, K., & Garzon, F. (2017). Research note: A rando-
a relational spirituality that reflects the heart’s mized investigation of evangelical Christian accommo-
yearning to meet with and be at peace with God. dative mindfulness. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(2),
92–99.
This is observed in Helma Ziegler’s description Fox, J., Gutierrez, D., Haas, J., & Durnford, S. (2016).Cen-
of re-purposing an MBSR technique by linking tering prayer’s effects on psycho-spiritual outcomes: A
it to the Christian’s relationship with Christ. Jo- pilot outcome study. Mental Health, Religion & Culture,
hannes Haack highlights the same point when 19(4), 379–392.
he states, “techniques of mindfulness can help Plante, T. G. (2017). The 4 Ds: Using Ignatian spirituality
in secular psychotherapy and beyond. Spirituality in Cli-
in arriving in the present moment in order to nical Practice, 4(1), 74–79.
prepare oneself for reading or hearing the Bib- Rosales, A., & Tan, S.-Y. (2017). Mindfulness-based cog-
nitive therapy (MBCT): Empirical evidence and clinical
applications from a Christian perspective. Journal of Psy-
120