| Mindfulness is a practice that anyone can quickly learn | | | | learning how to hold one's attention and concentration |
| and immediately use to benefit one's mental, physical, | | | | without judgment thereby being more aware of the |
| and emotional health. If you have thought about doing | | | | present and being more open and accepting to |
| meditation or starting a mindfulness training program | | | | whatever happens. |
| but were not sure what it meant then this article will be | | | | What the Benefits of Mindfulness Practice? |
| great at explaining the basics of mindfulness before | | | | Mindfulness therapies have shown great promise for a |
| starting practice. | | | | number of medical and psychological conditions. These |
| What is Mindfulness? | | | | include problems such as chronic pain, anxiety |
| In the West, the field of psychology has developed a | | | | depression, and stress. Cognitive therapy could be |
| therapeutic practice starting in the 1970s called | | | | considered to embody many mindfulness principles in |
| mindfulness. It has roots in the Buddhist meditation | | | | terms of being aware of one's thoughts. Essentially, |
| practice of awareness. Traditionally, in Theravada | | | | mindfulness is a practice of changing one's negative |
| Buddhism, people could be taught two forms of | | | | mental habits so it can be useful for any variety of |
| meditation which reflect the modern practice of | | | | conditions such as drug abuse or severe depression. |
| mindfulness. | | | | Is Mindfulness a Form of Buddhism? Can Anyone Do |
| The first is a calming of the mind practice which usually | | | | It? |
| involves watching one's breath go in and out. Are you | | | | Well, mindfulness as explained earlier is definitely within |
| breathing through your nose or your mouth? Through | | | | the Buddhist traditional practices. Many teachers such |
| your right nostril, your left nostril, or both? Deep breaths | | | | as Shunryu Suzuki and Thich Nhat Hanh have |
| or shallow breaths? This form of meditation helps | | | | introduced Buddhist meditations to the West which |
| settle the mind and bring the person back into the | | | | directly helped inspire today's forms of mindfulness in |
| present moment without too many stressful, random | | | | psychology and therapy. However, one could arguably |
| thoughts and movement. This form of meditation is | | | | find different variants of mindfulness practice in all |
| mainly to bring a serene peace to the mind and being | | | | spiritual traditions. Because the actual practice itself is |
| aware of one's thoughts and body. | | | | simply an open awareness to the present moment, |
| The second is a form of meditation is called insight or | | | | there are no beliefs or dogmas that one needs first. |
| vipassana meditation. Insight meditation involves | | | | Except perhaps an openness to experiment and |
| actively watching one's self including one's thoughts | | | | willingness to believe it might be possible to bring |
| and body sensations without judging or evaluating | | | | dramatic changes through mindfulness practice. |
| them as good or bad. And by doing so, one begins to | | | | Mindfulness is a mental practice that anyone can do |
| unravel the root causes of these phenomenons. | | | | and would help everyone. It does not have to be |
| In today's mindfulness practice in Western psychology, | | | | affiliated with any religion and can bring immediate |
| these elements are preserved in being aware in the | | | | positive results right now. However, it is often very |
| present moment and having a non-judgmental attitude | | | | helpful to first learn mindfulness with a teacher to |
| towards whatever is happening. In essence, it is | | | | make sure you are doing it correctly. |