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Mindfulness is the practice whereby a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. Mindfulness is applied to both bodily actions and the mind's own thoughts and feelings. In Buddhism, the second kind of mindfulness is considered a prerequisite for developing insight and wisdom. Right Mindfulness is the seventh path from the Noble Eightfold Path, which is in its turn the fourth of the Four Noble Truths.
Examples from meditation and daily life
Right mindfulness is also known as Right Meditation. There are many, many forms of mindfulness and meditation. One example of mindfulness is to mentally give a verbal label to each inbreath and outbreath during sitting meditation. So, each time one breathes in, one thinks (e.g.) "rising", and each time one breathes out, one thinks "falling". In this type of meditation, the breath serves as a tether that the practitioner uses to bring his or her awareness back to the present moment. By residing more frequently in the present moment, practitioners begin to see both the inner and outer aspects of reality. As one more closely observes inner reality, one finds that happiness is not a quality brought about by a change in outer circumstances, but rather by realizing unhappiness starts with one's own "mindless", and therefore automatic, reactions toward pleasant and unpleasant situations or feelings.
Mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time. It does not require sitting, or even focusing on the breath, but rather is done by bringing the mind to focus on what is happening in the present moment, while simply noticing the mind's usual "commentary". One can be mindful of the sensations in one's feet while walking, of the sound of the wind in the trees, or the feeling of soapy water while doing dishes. One can also be mindful of the mind's commentary: "I wish I didn't have to walk any further, I like the sound of the leaves rustling, I wish washing dishes wasn't so boring and the soap wasn't drying out my skin", etc. Any activity done mindfully is a form of meditation.
Research and writing
Largely associated with Buddhism, the practice of mindfulness is also advocated by such people as medical researcher and author Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn who developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. MBSR is a form of complementary medicine offered in over 200 U.S. hospitals and is currently the focus of a number of research studies funded by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Mindfulness is a core exercise used in Dialectical behavior therapy, a psychosocial treatment Marsha M. Linehan developed for treating people with Borderline Personality Disorder, and is also used in some other newer psychotherapeutical methods, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, which is based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program.
Psychologist Ellen J. Langer has written several books on what she calls "Mindfulness," (including a book with that title), which popularize the experimental work she has done on the topic. Langer acknowledges that what she calls "Mindfulness" is similar to, but distinct from, "Mindfulness" as understood by Buddhism and related traditions.
In addition to various forms of meditation, there are mindfulness training exercises that develop awareness using designated environmental cues. Those who find it difficult to practice sitting meditation may consider trying an approach based on Multiple Intelligences, such as Real-World Mindfulness Training.
While it is not explicitly labeled as such, the practice layed out in the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is largely one of mindfulness.
See also
External links
- Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana *
- The Art of Living
- How to do Mindfulness Meditation
Buddhist terms | Buddhist meditation | Meditation | Order of Interbeing | Satipatthána | Achtsamkeit
"Mindfulness"