On our first day of eighth grade, we were introduced to the word mindfulness. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn (the founder of modern day mindfulness), “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Mindfulness involves a conscious direction of awareness about everything that is happening around you. But, there is a difference of being aware of something to being mindful about something. To be mindful, you have to be purposely aware of something, not just vaguely aware. In mindfulness, you’re purposely focusing on happening, but emotionally non-reactive. Which means that when experiencing something either magnificent or terrible happening, you don’t actually feel emotion, you just
Mindfulness derives from the religious ideologies of the Eastern world, specifically originating from Buddhism. Mindfulness represents a state of consciousness in which an individual is completely aware of the present moment. The intense awareness of the present moment allows the individual to acknowledge the feelings, thoughts, and emotions being experienced in a nonjudgmental manner. Mindfulness involves cognition about cognition, and the ability to observe thoughts impartially. However, present moment awareness is a vital component to being mindful. Thoughts about the past and future will subside. The individual’s awareness is on the body, the breath, and thoughts only pertaining to the present moment. This awareness and attention allows a person to view the world in a new perspective. Most people constantly and unknowingly think about the past or the future. The intrapersonal communication we experience changes our perspective of the world because we are either comparing the present to a situation from the past or we are ignoring the present by anticipating the future. Practicing mindfulness can enhance interpersonal communication skills in reference to arguments and problem solving, resulting in stronger interpersonal relationships.
Williams et al (2014) compared MBCT with both cognitive psychological education, and treatment as usual, he compared the success rate of the therapy in preventing the relapse of MDD in people currently in remission phase following at least 3 previous episodes. It was consequently found that MBCT provided significant protection against the relapse, for participants with increased vulnerability due to adverse psychological history, but showed no significant advantage in comparison to an active control treatment and usual care over the whole group of patients with persistently recurring depression.
In this chapter, the most important concept for me is what to do about hindrances. Needless to say, all of us will face some hindrances in our life, it could be very serious or unworthy of being mentioned. The key point never is hindrances itself, we should look ahead. I think there is no hindrances that we cannot overcome.
Mindfulness is the ability to be completely aware of all that one experiences internally within the body, mind, heart, and spirit; and be attuned with the surrounding environment (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005, p. 112). It is self-awareness; having vast insight of yourself, knowing your areas of strengths and weaknesses, and being able to understand others and their perceptions. Mindfulness provides the ability to circumvent conflict or reduce its severity should it arise. It is an essential
It is human tendency to want to avoid pain with pleasure. Students have immeasurable pressures accumulated from exams or term papers. A healthy way to reduce stress is by teaching students’ mindfulness meditation. Often, students that know how to practice mindfulness are less likely to abuse substances. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, by the time “individuals reach their senior year of high school, 50 percent will have abused an illicit drug.”
Due to mindfulness’ relatively recent emergence of popularity in the psychological literature, research studies examining mindfulness from a lifespan perspective are currently rare. However, in this literature review, four studies will be outlined that examined certain aspects of mindfulness relevant to understanding the role of mindfulness from a lifespan perspective.
We alto often underestimate the reality of mindfulness. Countless of stressors will arise that presents itself to individuals in our society today. These stressors influence the climax of our restrictions in life on how much we can bare. Frequently, individuals lose sight of their emotions and reaction upon impulse rather than reasoning. To successfully obtain mindfulness, an individual must develop the ability to harness their consciousness while in their present surroundings. During this process, the individual becomes knowledgeable about their emotions, organize thoughts, and implement positive solutions. Thus, individuals acquire an increase of their self-confidence and become a resilient person.
Okay, so you've heard about meditation, and you've heard that it can be very beneficial to your health and wellbeing, helping you to relax and find peace and tranquility. But you're also wondering what different types of meditation there are, because you want to make an informed decision on the type of meditation that is most suitable for you.
The article provided a combination of the benefits of mindfulness that are empirically supported by different research. Mindfulness is defined as a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment. According to the article, it is viewed as a psychological state of awareness rather than a trait. Mentalization and intersubjectivity are some of the concepts that have similarities with mindfulness in a sense that mentalization also includes understanding of others, while intersubjectivity enables a sense of connection with others. Meditation, as a way to enhance mindfulness, causes different brain activity patterns such as the stimulation of the middle prefrontal brain. The benefits of mindfulness discussed in the article were divided into three: affective
As a result of practicing mindfulness I was able to understand that it is important to think about the here and now principle when performing an activity. I learned to disconnect myself from social media when doing everyday activities, or to be focused on what I am doing at that time. In the past I would perform certain tasks while listening to music or watching TV, as a result I would not enjoy the activities completely because my attention was divided in two different things. However, because of the mindfulness log, I learned to prioritize what I am doing at that moment. For example, I learned that I should not worry about small things that can interfere with my happiness, and on the other hand, to enjoy each moment in my life. When I did the star gaze activity I was able to spend time with myself, and I enjoyed my solitude, I think it had been a while since I had not been by myself, and I relaxed by appreciating what nature gives us. After experiencing relaxation through the practice of Yoga, I incorporated it into an everyday routine, and I have learned to relax and relieve myself from stress. With the help of each activity I learned to enjoy life to the fullest.
As mentioned above, mindfulness is a method of transformation. It not only brings about healthy physiological improvements and a greater sense of inner harmony, but it also affects the practitioner on many more subtle levels than may be initially realised.
It has been defined as "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally." This is one of the most popular definitions of mindfulness used by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Of course, there are variations of this definition that you may come across, but this one captures the essence of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a simple idea. Its power arises from its practice and application. It means paying attention or being aware, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgment.
Mindfulness can give you various kinds of benefits in your day-to-day life, out of which some are science-backed and some are divine.
For my group observation assignment I attended a meditation group. The focus was on mindfulness as defined by Vietnamese Tibetan monk and author Thich Nhat Hanh. According to Hanh (1998), “Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life” (p. 64).