Where did mindfulness come from? 

Mindfulness is rooted in Buddhist and Hindu teachings. The emergence of mindfulness in Western culture can be attributed to Jon Kabat-Zinn. As a professor at the University of Massachusetts medical school in the late 1970s, Kabat-Zinn developed a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to treat chronic pain. He discovered that patients would often try to avoid pain—but that that avoidance would lead to deeper distress. Practicing mindfulness was a more successful approach.

What are key elements of mindfulness?

Mindfulness encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance, Awareness is the knowledge and ability to focus attention on one’s inner processes and experiences, such as the experience of the present moment. Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept—rather than judge or avoid—those streams of thought.

What’s the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness is one form of meditation. Meditation utilizes various practices to quiet the mind or achieve a higher level of consciousness, one of which is mindfulness. Mindfulness can be cultivated within or outside a formal meditation practice and woven into any activity, such as taking a walk or being engaged in conversation.

How is mindfulness developed?

A person’s experience tends to be subjective and heavily influenced by their emotional state. Fears and insecurities about the past and the future can make it difficult to fully appreciate the present. The key is learning how to pay attention.

Mindfulness can take place through formal meditation sessions or practicing awareness in moments throughout the day. To cultivate a state of mindfulness, you can begin by sitting and taking deep breaths. Focus on each breath and the sensations of the moment, such as sounds, the temperature, and the feeling of air passing in and out of the body.

What are the benefits of being mindful?

Benefits of mindfulness include lowering stress levels, reducing harmful ruminating, and protecting against depression and anxiety. Research even suggests that mindfulness can help people better cope with rejection and social isolation

How does mindfulness help relieve anxiety?

Mindfulness encompasses awareness and acceptance, which can help people understand and cope with uncomfortable emotions allowing them to gain control and experience relief. To cultivate these skills, concentrate on lengthen and deepen your breaths. Foster an awareness of the five senses. Notice your thoughts and feelings, and practice curiosity and self-compassion.

Many of my clients have learned how to meditate and now are more present in their lives. In therapy, I can help you develop your meditation practice that leads to mindfulness. Contact me today to schedule a free phone consultation to learn how you can become mindful.