More Being, Less Talking

It’s difficult to imagine the success of a therapy session that doesn’t involve talking, but psychotherapists and researchers are encouraging more quiet contemplation as a way to deal with emotions and crises. It is the idea that sometimes there are simply no words that can help.
 
Naturally, there are skeptics who believe that mindfulness meditation may be yet another fad, and yet another one derived from Buddhism at that. At first, it sounds a little New Age-y, but take a closer look: the opposite of transcendental meditation, which is about losing oneself in the process of meditating, mindfulness meditation is about being fully aware of oneself and one’s emotions.
 
One woman who practices the technique suffers from debilitating anxiety and says, “I can stop and observe my feelings and thoughts and have compassion for myself.” What are your techniques, related to meditating or not, for approaching difficult situations or emotions? [The New York Times]