What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, without judgment.  It consists of cultivating awareness of the body and mind and living in the here and now. 

Learning to be mindful can help restore a balanced sense of health and well-being through increased awareness of all aspects of the self including the body, thoughts, and emotions.

Mindfulness is historically rooted in Eastern meditative traditions, but it is also a universal practice that anyone can gain benefit from. Physicians refer patients to mindfulness practice to help them better manage stress, pain, and illness. Others train in mindfulness to improve their concentration, improve their ability to deal with stress, and to increase their sense of balance and well-being.

Click here for the brief video "What is Mindfulness?"
by Saki Santorelli and Florence Meleo-Meyer -- The Center for Mindfulness (CFM)
University of Massachusetts Medical School

Cultivating your own inner resources...

Fortunately, mindfulness is not something foreign and new. It is a basic human quality. It is something we all know how to do. The Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course uses meditation, mindful movement, and inquiry to cultivate this inner capacity for awareness teaching simple but profound practices that can decrease suffering and bring greater balance and peace even in the midst of stress, pain, and illness.

 Click here for a brief video on minfulness by Dr. Hedy Kober,
Director of Research, Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic