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Mindfulness is awareness of one's thoughts, actions or motivations. Mindfulness (Pali: Sati; Sanskrit:smṛti स्मृति ) plays a central role in the teaching of the Buddha where it is affirmed that 'correct' or 'right' mindfulness (Pali:sammā-sati; Sanskrit samyak-smṛti) is an essential factor in the path to liberation. It is the seventh element of the Noble Eightfold Path, the sadhana of which is held in the tradition to engender 'insight' and 'wisdom' (Sanskrit: prajñā). Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... For other uses, see Moksha (disambiguation). ... The Dharma wheel, often used to represent the Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (Pāli: Ariyo aá¹­á¹­haá¹…giko maggo; Sanskrit: Ä€rya ṣṭāṅga mārgaḥ; Chinese: 八正道, Bāzhèngdào; Japanese: 八正道, Hasshōdō, Thai: อริยมรรคแปด, Ariya Mugg Paad, Mongolian qutuÉ£tan-u naiman gesigün-ü mör) is, in... A Sadhana is a ritualistic meditation practice from Hindu and Buddhist spiritual traditions which is followed in order to achieve a form of spiritual purification or enlightenment. ... Look up Insight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Prajñā (Sanskrit; Pali: paññā; Tibetan: shes rab, Chinese: 般若, banruo) meaning wisdom, cognitive acuity; or know-how -- but especially the Buddhist wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, not-self, emptiness, etc. ... Prajñā (Sanskrit; Pali: paññā; Tibetan: shes rab, Chinese: 般若, banruo) meaning wisdom, cognitive acuity; or know-how -- but especially the Buddhist wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, not-self, emptiness, etc. ...

Examples from meditation (contemplative practice) and daily life

buddha provided a guide on establishing mindfulness more than 2500 years ago.

Right mindfulness (often also termed Right meditation) involves bringing one's awareness back (i.e. from the past or the future) into the present moment. By residing more frequently in the present moment, practitioners begin to see both inner and outer aspects of reality. Internally, one sees that the mind is continually chattering with commentary or judgment. By noticing that the mind is continually making commentary, one has the ability to carefully notice those thoughts, seeing them for what they are without aversion or judgement. Those practicing mindfulness realize that "thoughts are just thoughts". One is free to release a thought ("let it go") when one realizes that the thought may not be concrete reality or absolute truth. Thus, one is free to observe life without getting caught in the commentary. Many "voices" or messages may speak to one within the "vocal" (discursive) mind. It is important to be aware that the messages one hears during "thinking" may not be accurate or helpful, but rather may be translations of, or departures from truth. For other senses of this word, see Meditation (disambiguation). ...

As one more closely observes inner reality, one finds that happiness is not exclusively a quality brought about by a change in outer circumstances, but rather by realizing happiness often starts with loosening and releasing attachment to thoughts, pre-dispositions, and "scripts"; thereby releasing "automatic" reactions toward pleasant and unpleasant situations or feelings.

However, mindfulness does not have to be constrained to a formal meditation session. Mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time; it does not require sitting, or even focusing on the breath, but rather is done by bringing the mind to focus on what is happening in the present moment, while simply noticing the mind's usual "commentary". One can be mindful of the sensations in one's feet while walking, of the sound of the wind in the trees, or the feeling of soapy water while doing dishes. One can also be mindful of the mind's commentary: "I wish I didn't have to walk any further, I like the sound of the leaves rustling, I wish washing dishes wasn't so boring and the soap wasn't drying out my skin", etc. Once we have noticed the mind's running commentary, we have the freedom to cease identification with those judgments/perceptions: "washing dishes: boring" may become "The warm water is in unison with the detergent and is currently washing away the plates grime, the sun is shining through the window and casting an ever greater shadow on the dish's white ceramics.". In this example, one may see that washing does not have to be judged "boring"; washing dishes is only a process of coordinating dishes with soap and water. Any activity done mindfully is a form of meditation, and mindfulness is possible practically all the time.

Continuous mindfulness practice

In addition to various forms of meditation based around specific sessions, there are mindfulness training exercises that develop awareness throughout the day using designated environmental cues. The aim is to make mindfulness essentially continuous. Examples of such cues are the hourly chimes of clocks, red lights at traffic junctions and crossing the threshold of doors. The mindfulness itself can take the form of nothing more than focusing on three successive breaths [1]. This approach is particularly helpful when it is difficult to establish a regular meditation practice.

Mindfulness in the West

Although mindfulness has its origins in Buddhism, it is also advocated in the West by teachers such as Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg, who have jointly been attributed with playing a significant role in bringing the practice to a new audience. Mindfulness is also attracting increasing interest among western clinical psychologists and psychiatrists as a non-pharmacological means of dealing with stress, anxiety, and depressive mood states. A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... Jack Kornfield (b. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Sharon Salzberg is a teacher of Asian meditation practices, particularly Vipasannā, (mindfulness), and mettā (lovingkindess) methods. ... An MRI scan of a human brain and head. ... Anxiety is a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ...

Therapeutic applications of mindfulness

Recent research points to a useful therapeutic role for mindfulness in a number of medical and psychiatric conditions, notably chronic pain () and stress (). Recent research suggests that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be used to prevent suicidal behavior from recurring in cases of severe mental illness (Journ. Clin. Psych. 62/2 2006).

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. MBSR is a form of complementary medicine offered in over 200 U.S. hospitals and is currently the focus of a number of research studies funded by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Kabat-Zinn also wrote a book about mindfulness called Wherever You Go, There You Are. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. ... The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, a division of the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States federal government, was established in October, 1991, as the Office of Alternative Medicine, which was re-established as the NCCAM...

Wikibooks Dialectical Behavioral Therapy has a page on the topic of

Core Mindfulness Skills

Mindfulness is a core exercise used in dialectical behavior therapy, a psychosocial treatment Marsha M. Linehan developed for treating people with Borderline Personality Disorder. Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a psychosocial treatment developed by Marsha M. Linehan specifically to treat Borderline Personality Disorder. ... Marsha M. Linehan (May 5, 1943 to Current) is an American Psychologist and author. ... Borderline Personality Disorder (DSM-IV Personality Disorders 301. ...

Mindfulness is also used in some other newer psychotherapeutical methods, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, which is based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT (pronounced act not ay see tee), is a branch of cognitive-behavioral therapy, an empirically based psychological intervention, hat uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Since the beginnings of Gestalt therapy in the early 1940s mindfulness has been an essential part of the theory and practice of Gestalt therapy, although within the frame of Gestalt therapy theory it appears as "awareness". Gestalt Therapy is an existential and experiential psychotherapy that focuses on the individuals experience in the present moment, the therapist-client relationship, the environmental and social contexts in which these things take place, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of the overall situation. ... In biological psychology, awareness describes a human or animals perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event. ...

Footnotes

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Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

See also

Look up Mindfulness in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Meditation
• Buddhism > Buddhism and psychology
• Buddhism > Buddhist meditation > Satipatthana, Sampajanna
• Hakomi
• John Garrie Roshi
• Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Process art
• S.N. Goenka's Vipassana
• Thich Nhat Hanh
• Eckhart Tolle
• Trance
• Zanshin
• Henepola Gunaratana

Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... For other senses of this word, see Meditation (disambiguation). ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... Buddhism and psychology overlap in theory and in practice. ... Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. ... Satipatthana refers to the broad conception of Buddhist meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Sampajañña (Pāli; Skt. ... Hakomi therapy is a form of depth psychology developed by Ron Kurtz. ... John Garrie, later known as John Garrie Roshi, was a British actor who later became a respected teacher of Zen Buddhism. ... Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. ... Process Art may be understood as an artistic movement as well as a creative sentiment and worldview where the end product of art and craft, the objet d’art, is not the principal focus. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Thich Nhat Hanh Thích Nhất Hạnh (born 1926) is an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, and prolific author in English. ... Eckhart Tolle (born Germany, 1948 as Ulrich Tolle) is a contemporary spiritual teacher and writer on spirituality. ... Trance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Zan·shin (Japanese: 残心) is a martial art term used in Aikido, Karate, Kendo, Iaido, Kyudo and other Japanese martial arts, referring to a state of awareness - a state of relaxed alertness. ... Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk. ...

References

• Kabat-Zinn, J. An out-patient program in Behavioral Medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry (1982) 4:33-47.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Lipworth, L. and Burney, R. The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. J. Behav. Med. (1985) 8:163-190.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Lipworth, L., Burney, R. and Sellers, W. Four year follow-up of a meditation-based program for the self-regulation of chronic pain: Treatment outcomes and compliance. Clin. J.Pain (1986) 2:159-173.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. and Chapman-Waldrop, A. Compliance with an outpatient stress reduction program: rates and predictors of completion. J.Behav. Med. (1988) 11:333-352.
• Ockene, J., Sorensen, G., Kabat-Zinn, J., Ockene, I.S., and Donnelly, G. Benefits and costs of lifestyle change to reduce risk of chronic disease. Preventive Medicine, (1988) 17:224-234.
• Bernhard, J., Kristeller, J. and Kabat-Zinn, J. Effectiveness of relaxation and visualization techniques as an adjunct to phototherapy and photochemotherapy of psoriasis. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. (1988) 19:572-73.
• Ockene, J.K., Ockene, I.S., Kabat-Zinn, J., Greene, H.L., and Frid, D. Teaching risk-factor counseling skills to medical students, house staff, and fellows. Am. J. Prevent. Med. (1990) 6 (#2): 35-42.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Massion, A.O., Kristeller, J., Peterson, L.G., Fletcher, K., Pbert, L., Linderking, W., Santorelli, S.F. Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Am. J Psychiatry (1992) 149:936-943.
• Miller, J., Fletcher, K. and Kabat-Zinn, J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry (1995) 17:192-200.
• Massion, A.O., Teas, J., Hebert, J.R., Wertheimer, M.D., and Kabat-Zinn, J. Meditation, melatonin, and breast/prostate cancer: Hypothesis and preliminary data. Medical Hypotheses (1995) 44:39-46.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. Chapman, A, and Salmon, P. The relationship of cognitive and somatic components of anxiety to patient preference for alternative relaxation techniques. Mind/ Body Medicine (1997) 2:101-109.
• Kabat-Zinn, J., Wheeler, E., Light, T., Skillings, A., Scharf, M.S., Cropley, T. G., Hosmer, D., and Bernhard, J. Influence of a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA) Psychosomat Med (1998) 60: 625-632.
• Saxe, G., Hebert, J., Carmody, J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Rosenzweig, P., Jarzobski, D., Reed, G., and Blute, R. Can Diet, in conjunction with Stress Reduction, Affect the Rate of Increase in Prostate-specific Antigen After Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer? J. of Urology, In Press, 2001.

External links

• Mindfulness meditation tutorial by a mental health professional
• Mindfulness in Plain English
• Gnostic Mindfulness
• How to do Mindfulness Meditation
• The neptic and hesychastic character of Orthodox Athonite monasticism
• Watchfulness, Prayer and Confession - A Homily by Elder Ephraim of Philotheou
• Satitherapy
• A critical view on mindfulness meditation and its pitfalls