What Is Mindfulness?

 

01.07.2022 WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? There’s a lot of talk about it these days—but what is mindfulness? Essentially, mindfulness is being purposefully aware, without judgement, of what is happening in your mind, body, and environment in the present moment. Mindfulness is both a mind state and the practice of paying attention on purpose. In a nutshell, mindfulness is intentional awareness. There is always some element of mindfulness present at any moment — if you are aware, you are being mindful. But through mindfulness practice, we can develop a moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment, a sense of decreased stress and anxiety, and a greater sense of ease and wellbeing. As Thich Nhat Hanh, known as “the father of mindfulness” puts it, “To practice mindfulness is to become alive.” How do we bring more mindfulness into our lives? There’s a number of ways — our new “What Is Mindfulness?” page offers guidance and practices to make every day more mindful. You’ll find that below, alongside two teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh and Jack Kornfield on this time-honored practice. May they help bring the miracle of mindfulness to your weekend. —Lilly Greenblatt, Digital Editor, LionsRoar.com

What Is Mindfulness? In this helpful guide on mindfulness, we answer your questions and offer practices to make every day more mindful. Through different types of mindfulness practice, we can develop a moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment, a sense of decreased stress and anxiety, and a greater sense of ease and wellbeing. There is always some element of mindfulness present at any moment — if you are aware, you are being mindful. However, true mindfulness comes when one is both aware and unattached to what is present in their mind, body, and surroundings. This is referred to as the “egoless awareness” of mindfulness.

The Miracle of Everyday Mindfulness When we practice mindfulness in our daily lives, says Thich Nhat Hanh, we open to the wonders of life and allow the world to heal and nourish us. When I pour tea, I like to pour the tea mindfully. When I pour the tea mindfully, my mind isn’t in the past or the future, or with my projects. My mind is focused on pouring the tea. I’m fully concentrated on the act of pouring tea. Pouring tea becomes the only object of my mindfulness and concentration. This is a pleasure and it also can bring many insights. I can see that in the tea there is a cloud. Yesterday it was a cloud, but today it is my tea. Insight is not something very far away. With mindfulness and concentration you can begin to develop the insight that can liberate you and bring you happiness.

Doing the Buddha’s Practice Mindfulness/awareness was the meditation the Buddha practiced and taught—it was his basic prescription for human suffering. Looking at life with an open and nonjudgmental attention, we see our confusion and develop insight. This is the basis of all Buddhist practice and the key to liberation. Jack Kornfield explains. Mindfulness does not reject experience. It lets experience be the teacher. One Buddhist practitioner with severe asthma learned to bring a mindful attention to his breath and limit his attacks by being patient as the muscles in his throat and chest relaxed the stress in his body. Another man undergoing a painful cancer treatment used mindfulness to quell his fear of the pain and added loving-kindness for his body as a complement to his chemotherapy. Through mindfulness a local politician learned not to be discouraged by his attackers. A frazzled single mother of preschoolers used mindfulness to acknowledge feeling tense and overwhelmed, and to become more respectful and spacious with herself and her boys. Each of these practitioners learned to trust the space of mindful awareness. With mindfulness they entered the difficulties in their own life. Like the Buddha in the thick of the forest, they found healing and freedom.

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