What is Mindfulness?

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn “mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” What a gift especially in times of stress, disruption and discord!

Mindfulness is quite simple in concept yet can be strikingly difficult to practice. The good news is that the more we practice, the easier it gets. As we practice formally and informally, we literally create new neurological pathways within our brains. The more we access these new pathways, the deeper the pathway grooves. 

The idea of mindfulness is to keep bringing the attention back home to the body (noticing physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts). When you notice that your mind has drifted away from the body, you have the opportunity to kindly, gently, firmly bring your attention back to your body which assists in bringing you back to the present moment. Drifting to the future tends to make us anxious; allowing ourselves to ruminate over the past can make us feel depressed. Even if a pretty big emotion is bursting in your body (say... frustration over a work project or anger with someone close to you), allowing yourself to notice the physical sensations arising as you feel the frustration, anger offers a different way to be with what is happening. Whatever the feeling is eventually you’ll notice that the emotion also passes in time as do the physical sensations. “This too shall pass.” And, I think that is what we’re all looking for- a little more peace and ease amidst these uncharted and anxious times. 

Examples of “formal practice” would be sitting meditation (guided or not guided), loving kindness meditation, walking meditation, gentle yoga, all of which offer the opportunity to keep bringing the attention back home to the body. Examples of “informal practice” are anything you do on a regular basis and bringing your full attention to it without judgement. So moment to moment paying attention to washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, folding laundry, walking to the mailbox to get the mail. All throughout these every day activities intentionally bringing your full attention there. And, when you notice that you are no longer “with” brushing your teeth or the sensation of water on your hands as you wash the dishes, using it as an opportunity to come back home to the present moment of the body yet again. 

Practicing mindfulness whether formally or informally in and of itself is an act of self compassion. And, I don’t know about you, but I can always benefit from some doses of self compassion. It is so easy to get on myself about what I could be doing better, how much more I could be getting done, or what better job I could be doing in my relationships! Enough! Practices of self compassion… more please! 

All this said, the best way to get going practicing mindfulness is to do just that- practice. Even if you simply practice for 10 minutes a day (10 quiet minutes all to yourself!) and notice the feelings and sensations in your body as you brush your teeth each morning, you are on the road of mindfulness. Even if you set the timer on your phone for ONE MINUTE, start there. In time you’ll be thanking yourself and likely those around you will thank you too! 

To find meditations on this website, click here.