Mindfulness
My first introduction to Mindfulness Practice was through a wonderful book by Jon Kabat-Zinn
called Full Catastrophe Living. In it, Kabat-Zinn explains his own journey to find a more peaceful
existence, and his recipe for maintaining acceptance and joy. Although there are a multitude of
other wonderful books available, I continue to recommend this book as a good starting place.
There are also many other ways to begin, including, and not limited to: yoga, meditation, and
contemplation. All of these are “sisters” to mindfulness, or at least have components of practice
that are similar. I am familiar with all of these practices and can recommend them fully.
Jon Kabat-Zinn is a master in the area of mindfulness and creator of the Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction program at University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Mindfulness.
You can read more about the benefits of Mindfulness on the UMass website –
http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm
“Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not
trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are.” ?
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are
The practice of mindfulness, and it is all "just practice," increases one's ability to slow down; the breath, the thinking, the heart rate and allow for a more inward focus. Paying attention to the body, in an observational perspective, moving away from critical thinking is a powerful transition. Paradoxically, it can alter one’s outward focus to a more inclusive and stable perspective, as “I am one
with nature, and all that is living.” If this sounds too difficult, my suggestion is to try the practice
for a definitive time, considering a practice of 3-5 minutes a day, for a week and then see what happens.
I have provided some very simplistic recordings of some practices I have used with clients as an example of a way to begin.
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