Contemplative Practice and Reflexivity for Emotion Regulation

Introduction

Contemplative practices are any rituals or daily activities that help a person enter into a state of flow, allowing that person to relax in a deep sense of self-awareness and tranquility. Although contemplative practices have roots in philosophy and religion, such as yoga, meditation, and prayer, contemporary living incorporates contemplative practices in mainstream ways, such as through exercise or the arts. This chapter describes the tradition of contemplative practices as a means toward self-awareness and self-regulation. A specific focus is placed on the use of contemplative practices for emotional regulation.

Through regular contemplative practice, a person learns to become more reflexive in their interactions with others. Reflexivity refers to the act of responding in a thoughtfully spontaneous manner to another person. “Thoughtfully spontaneous” sounds like an oxymoron, but it is a well-crafted practice. When one gains self-awareness and the ability to emotionally regulate themselves through contemplative practice, that sense of inner peace (which has been thoughtfully developed) can spontaneously emerge during interactions with others and thus serve as a means to socially regulate a conversation. Therapists and behavioral specialists often use reflexivity to respond to a client’s emotional need in the moment. Likewise, non-therapists can develop a socially emotional regulating approach when interacting with others.

Through this chapter, readers will be able to:

• 1.

  Understand the historical roots of contemplative practice.

• 2.

  Understand the status of contemplative practice in contemporary society.

• 3.

  Learn ways that contemplative practice can be used for independent emotional self-regulation.

• 4.

  Learn ways in which contemplative practice can help a person become more reflexive in their interactions with others in order to help socially regulate an emotional conversation.

Background: Historical Roots Of Contemplative Practice

Contemplative practices have been routines of daily life since approximately 550 BCE, with roots in the religion of Buddhism and the philosophy of Confucianism. The most common Buddhist traditions of contemplative practice include paying conscious attention to breathing in a manner referred to as breathing meditation. The most common contemplative practice in Confucianism is Jing zuo (Quiet Sitting). In both approaches, the practitioner begins by sitting in a quiet space and focuses all of their attention on the breath, trying to release all other thoughts. This practice can be done by an individual alone or in a group, in silence or while listening to music, or with the assistance of a guide. Over time, movement-based practices, such as tai chi, qigong, and yoga, which involve conscious and precise movements in the body, have been included in contemplative practices as well.

The favored outcomes of Buddhist traditions of contemplative practice are to develop a greater sense of self-awareness (mindfulness), to develop a sense of compassion for self and others, and to reach a higher level of intelligence. Buddhist traditions assert that all people should engage in contemplative practice as a foundation for their everyday life. In doing so, individuals will be better prepared to confront the Four Noble Truths (the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering) in order to achieve enlightenment. Buddhism encourages active engagement of the practitioner in the sense that each individual must meditate and gain awareness for themselves into the Truths. That is, an individual cannot be brought to enlightenment through another. It is the individual’s responsibility to attain that level of mindfulness needed to raise oneself to enlightenment.

The favored outcomes of Confucian traditions of contemplative practices are to achieve restoration of the body, mind, and emotions through rest; to improve concentration; and to gain insight in order to achieve the higher goal of social harmony. Similar to Buddhism, the individual must engage in contemplative practice actively and regularly to achieve these goals.