Each of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is generally seen as a stage of learning to be completely mindful in each moment. That is, the first stage is to focus on being aware of the body. This is often done by simply focusing one’s attention on the breath. From there, the rest of...
The root of the word “mindfulness” is “mind”, and there’s nothing more important to us than our mind. Our mind is who we are and what we are – always – and it is not our brain. Instead, our mind is an active process. It is all the mental activity going on in our brain...
Western medicine loves to delve into the nitty-gritty details of what makes something tick – and mindfulness is no exception. “Randomized controlled trials” (which are apparently one of the best kinds of studies) that targeted mindfulness only totaled in at 1 … yes, just one … from 1995...
The informal practice is the rest of your life! You see, anything we do in daily life with full awareness can be said to be mindfulness practice. You can do the dishes mindfully, wait at the traffic lights or go for your morning walk mindfully. Any routine activity can be made into a...
When I first wrote The Happiness Trap – back in 2006 – I didn’t even mention the word ‘mindfulness’ until almost half way through the book, because back then almost nobody knew what it meant. Well, times have changed. In the last decade, there’s been an explosion of interest in...
Mindfulness meditation is a powerful tool for becoming mentally fit. By focusing on the present moment with openness and curiosity, we can develop greater awareness and regulate our thoughts and emotions with greater ease. This can have myriad benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to improving...
Theinformal practiceis the rest of your life! You see, anything we do in daily life with full awareness can be said to be mindfulness practice. You can do the dishes mindfully, wait at the traffic lights or go for your morning walk mindfully.Any routine activity can be made into a mindf...
Mindfulness Exercises within Zen Meditation Zenis abranch of Buddhismwith special emphasis onmeditation. Zen meditation, zazen, or sitting starts by focusing theawareness on the breath. During 'sitting' we close down our mental and emotional activity, and through training we developsingle-pointed conc...
With mindful running becoming more mainstream than ever, we tapped top experts to demystify the concept. Learn what it means to run while practicing mindfulness.
to engage in mind-training. It can apply to any activity directing the mind’s attention toward a point of focus. That isn’t to say that every time you choose to direct your attention that you are engaging in mindfulness, but when your attention becomes focused here and now, and you ar...