FAQs About Mindfulness

Is mindfulness the same as meditation? Mindfulness meditation is one way to practice mindfulness, but since being mindful simply involves paying attention to the present moment, mindfulness can be brought to anything you do. Becoming more mindful takes practice, and mindfulness meditation is good tool to learn to be more mindful. However, you can become more mindful without meditation, and even if you do practice mindfulness meditation, the benefits of mindfulness are greatest when mindfulness is incorporated into everyday life. Many of my clients never practice meditation and find other ways to bring mindfulness into their lives. Is mindfulness Buddhist? Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation are an important part of many Buddhist traditions, but there is nothing exclusively Buddhist about mindfulness. Many other religious and spiritual practices involve mindfulness, and you can learn mindfulness and realize its benefits regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs. Can anyone learn to be more mindful? Many people try meditation and find it impossible to keep their mind from wandering and believe that becoming more mindfull is something they will never be able to do. But becoming more mindful does not need to involve meditation, and mindfulness does not involve emptying your mind. Mindfulness simply involves paying attention to whatever is going on in the present moment, and learning to bring your mind back to the present whenever you notice it wandering. Mindfulness does not need to involve extended periods of meditation. It can be practiced for just a few minutes at a time, and brought to whatever you are doing in your everyday life. Even if you may never be inclined to meditate, you can still learn to incorporate mindfulness into your life and realize its benefits. How do I practice mindfulness? Since mindfulness simply involves paying attention to whatever is going on in the present moment, you can bring mindfulness to any aspect of your life. The formal way to practice mindfulness is through meditation, which involves paying attention to things such as your breath, physical sensations, your thoughts and your emotions. Mindfulness can also be practiced informally by focusing your attention on your breathing for brief periods throughout your day, or by becoming more mindful during everyday activities such as walking, driving, eating, cleaning, or whatever else you may be doing at any given time. As you become more comfortable with being mindful, you will be able to bring mindfulness to your thoughts, your feelings and emotions, and any problems or difficulties you face.