Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention. It involves being aware of the present moment, usually by concentrating on the breath, rather than worrying about past or the future. ‘Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally’ (Jon Kabat-Zinn). Though the origins of mindfulness are found in eastern spirituality, aspects of mindfulness are also found throughout all religious traditions. In Christianity, prayer and meditation on Scripture help ground the participant in the present moment with God – this is a kind of mindfulness. Jesus himself encourages a practice of mindfulness when he says, ‘Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own’ (Matthew 6:34). Anxiety causes us to worry about the future – the tomorrows – but mindfulness grounds us in the present moment. The aim of mindfulness is not to get rid of the troubles of the day, but simply to notice thoughts and feelings as they appear in the mind with friendly interest and without judgement.

How to Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a skill that can be practiced and learnt. It involves focusing on the present moment by concentrating on the breath:

1] Begin by taking three deep breaths. On the final breath gently close your eyes.

2] Notice any sounds, smells, and physical contact with the chair or the floor.

3] Then turn your attention to notice each passing breath. Are they shallow or deep? Long or short? It may help to count the breaths from one to ten in your mind.

4] Give yourself a mental reason for practicing mindfulness – just a short sentence on how mindfulness will benefit yourself and others in your life.

5] If you find your mind has wandered into other thoughts and feelings, return your attention back to the breath.

6] It may help to note how your mind has wandered by mentally saying ‘feeling’ or ‘thinking’ to yourself.

7] Once you are ready to finish the exercise, begin to notice any sounds or smells. Notice the contact between yourself and the chair or the floor. Become aware of the space around you.

8] Then gently open your eyes and give yourself a moment to notice how you feel.

This is basically all mindfulness entails – a simple awareness of the breath in the present moment.

Stop, Breathe, and Think 
There is much to be said for taking a few moments in the day to pause and concentrate on the breath. Too often we rush around in our minds – always thinking and worrying about the tomorrows, when we should be concentrating on the present. In the Star Wars films, the Jedi Master Yoda often makes references to mindfulness. Speaking to the padawan leaner Luke Skywalker, Yoda says, ‘A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life he has looked away to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. On what he was doing’. Mindfulness, as Yoda suggests, is about paying attention to where we are – to what we are doing. It is a focus on the present. It involves participating fully in what is going on around you. Noticing sounds, smells, contact with the ground beneath your feet. It is a friendly awareness of thoughts and feelings passing in the mind. It helps us to notice thoughts as leaves passing on a stream, or as clouds in the sky, rather than being caught up in thoughts and feelings as in a storm. Mindfulness helps us to make better choices about whether or not to act on thoughts and feelings. It helps us to press pause in the chaos of life – to stop, breathe, and think about what we are doing. ‘Mindfulness is a special type of awareness that can keep us anchored safely in our bodies when the going gets tough. It can grow into a way of life that protects us from unnecessary suffering’ (Christopher Germer).

Mindfulness in Everyday Life

While the formal practice of mindfulness may involve sitting meditation, it is nonetheless possible to practice mindfulness in everyday life by doing normal tasks such as washing the dishes, eating an orange, or cooking dinner. Mindfulness involves concentrating on what you are doing and being present where you are. It is the repetitive act of directing attention to one task in the moment. It can be practised anytime, anywhere, while doing anything. It is a life skill. While this may sound easy, it is a lot more difficult than we think. Too often our minds will wander to other things when we need to be paying attention to the present moment. Our mind is like an untrained puppy, always wandering off, chewing your shoes, jumping on the sofa, and licking your face. It takes perseverance, kindness, and patience to train a puppy – and the same is true of the mind. So often our thoughts and feelings consume us, particularly if we suffer with anxiety or depression. Mindfulness helps us to train the mind to focus on the present. Anxiety takes us spinning into the future worrying about what may happen; depression takes us into the past worrying about what has happened in our lives. Mindfulness brings us to present – often a place of calm and peace, a place of rest even in the midst of a storm. It helps us to be in the here and now, at peace.

Recommended Reading  

Baer, Ruth, ‘Mindfulness Training as a Clinical Intervention: A Conceptual and Empirical Review’, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 2 (Summer, 2003), 125–43.  

Harris, Russell, ‘Mindfulness without Meditation’, HCPJ (October, 2009), 21–24.

Hayes, S. C. & Chad, Shenk, ‘Operationalising mindfulness without unnecessary attatchments’, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 3 (2004), 249–54.   

Kabat Zinn, Jon, Wherever You Go, There You Are (2004).

Stanton M, Dunkley C, ‘First Steps in Mindfulness Skills’, Nursing Times, 107, 6 (2011), 22–24.