What is Mindfulness?

What is Mindfulness?
"Life is only available in the present moment" - Thick Nhat Hanh

Definition of “mindfulness”:

“the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something, a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique”

How and Why ..?

In simple terms, being mindful means having your mind focused on what you are doing – thus, a moment-by-moment awareness. It’s the opposite of rushing or doing too many things at once. To be mindful, you slow down to take your time. You do one thing at a time. You focus on what you’re doing in a calm way.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Though it has its roots in Buddhist meditation, a secular practice of mindfulness has entered the global mainstream in recent years, in part through the work and life of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Thích Nhất Hạnh, known as the “father of mindfulness”, was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet, and teacher, who founded the Plum Village Tradition.

More western researchers of mindfulness, include Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which he launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. Since that time, thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general and MBSR in particular, inspiring countless programs to adapt the MBSR model for schools, prisons, hospitals, and beyond.

Mindfulness – “We live in an eternal NOW”

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory" 
- Dr Seuss -

The Art of Mindful Living

Mindfulness is a kind of energy that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is happening in the present moment, within us, and around us. We become aware of our breathing and come home to our body, fully present for ourselves and whatever we do.

The energy of mindfulness helps us touch life deeply throughout the day, whether we’re brushing our teeth, washing the dishes, walking to work, eating a meal, or driving the car. We can be mindful while standing, walking or lying down; while speaking, listening, working, playing, and cooking.

Mindfulness is not hard work. It’s enjoyable and relaxing, and we don’t need extra time to do it. There’s an art to finding creative ways to generate the energy of mindfulness, peace, and happiness in everyday life.

And when we practice mindfulness together with others in community, we generate a powerful collective energy that can help bring healing and transformation to ourselves and the world.

"Waking up this morning I smile, knowing there are 24 brand new hours before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment, and look at beings with eyes of compassion"