Mindfulness is based on an Eastern meditation tradition but is not dependent on any belief or ideology. It is about being aware of what is happening in the present on a moment-by-moment basis.
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally”. -Jon Kabat-Zinn, Founder of Mindfulness – Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
Regular Practice Cultivates 3 Core Skills:
- Concentration: the ability to focus and stabilise your attention and help aid your mental wellbeing
- Sensory Clarity: the ability to keep, track of the components of sensory experience as they arise in various combinations, moment-by-moment
- Calmness / Composure: the ability to ‘be with’ experience with an attitude of gentle matter-of-factness
Where does it come from?
In the 19th century, mindfulness was used to translate the Pali word Sati. Pali is the language of Theravada, a form of Buddhism found in Southeast Asia. Establishing Mental wellbeing is a primary practice of the Theravada Buddhism.
It is said to lead to insight into the true nature of self and reality (impermanence, the suffering of conditioned existence and non-self).
Mindful Meditation Arrives in the West
In the 60’s and 70’s, Westerners began going to Southeast Asia to learn their practices. They brought those practices back to the West and began to teach them within the framework of Buddhism and help mental health.
In the 80’s and 90’s, it was discovered that those practices could be extracted from Buddhism and the cultural environment of Asia and used within a worldly context.
Soon there were a number of other psychotherapeutic treatments developed, centring around mindful health:
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Mindfulness – Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Benefits
It changes the brain in positive ways!
Creates Pro-Social Behaviour:
- Impulse Regulation
- Emotional Awareness
- Compassion & Empathy
- Forgiveness
Creates Relaxation Response:
The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress… and the opposite of the fight or flight response.
See more of our blogs herehttp://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/mindfulness.aspx
http://www.freemindfulness.org/download
