“Mindfulness” is about paying attention to our experience in a particular way: in the present moment, with curiosity and intention, and with compassion. It is contrasted with “mindlessness”, the capacity we all have to be on auto-pilot… when we don’t pay full attention to the here and now because we don’t need to in order to ‘get by’. Whether we’re in a meeting at work, or talking with our kids, or sitting with a friend or partner… we can so easily find that our mind wanders to remembering the recent or more distant past, or anticipating and planning for the close or more distant future. We get caught in our familiar stories about what we want or don’t want, like or don’t like, what should or shouldn’t be happening… the judgment about experience that again pulls us away from being fully present with what is right here, right now. 

The capacity for mindfulness is innate within each and every one of us, even if it seems distant or challenging. Many people mistakenly associate it exclusively with Eastern philosophical systems, and feel resistant. But we all know the experience of feeling the warm sun on our face, or seeing a beautiful sunset, hearing a beautiful bird call, resting in a loving embrace… each of these rest in present moment mindfulness 

A lively research agenda across the world has identified significant positive effects associated with mindful awareness practices, including healing, immune response, stress reactivity, and a general sense of physical well-being.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is simple but not easy. We so easily get hooked on reviewing and rehashing the past or rehearsing and worrying about the future, that the present moment passes in a haze. It is possible to be more awake in our lives, to live fully and with intention.