Mindfulness practice is learning to be aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, with calm alert curiosity and suspension of judgement.

As human beings we have the ability to review the past, anticipate the future and to be aware in the present moment.   Of those three, present moment awareness is for most of us, the most under-developed.  When judgement free, moment to moment awareness is cultivated, we experience less stress and better functioning in our daily lives.

Mindfulness has been a core teaching for thousands of years in the Buddhist tradition and in other areas of contemplative and creative human activities.   Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979 to help people address suffering due to health problems. Over forty years later, it has been expanded to effectively address many human circumstances, including  grief and loss, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, work stress,  relationship difficulties, and hassles of everyday life.  Mindfulness is well supported in the scientific literature as a safe and effective way to reduce suffering and increase functioning.

. (go to page 2)