Adapted from the teachings of Zen Buddhism, mindfulness practice has become a go-to tool for a wide range of therapeutic interventions, and for good reason. It is simple, effective, and accessible to anyone with a frontal lobe (i.e. everyone). You need only attempt mindfulness to “succeed” at it. And you need only continue attempting it to reap the immense benefits it has to offer. So what does mindfulness actually involve?
World-renowned mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” In other words, it involves intentionally directing your conscious focus on what is happening right now, noticing whatever is happening and accepting it unconditionally. Still confused? I assure you it is much simpler than it sounds. Let us consider an example of one of the basic forms of mindfulness practice: mindfulness of breath.
In this practice, you are paying full attention to the sensation of each breath as it comes in and exits your body. Seems easy enough, right? Except your magnificent brain is far too powerful to be occupied with something it can manage automatically, so it starts thinking about other stuff! Now you are no longer giving your full awareness to your breath, because suddenly you are thinking about the argument you had with your sister this morning or what you’re having for dinner tonight. Once you notice that your awareness has drifted away from your intended focus (i.e. your breath), you accept that this happened (without judging yourself for “messing up”) and bring your awareness back to your breath. Rinse and repeat. That is really all there is to it!
That seems almost too simple to be useful, right? What you have actually done, in fact, is ever-so-slightly improved your ability to take back control of your conscious thought, rather than allowing it to randomly move on to something else. And as you practice this skill more and more, you will become better at noticing when your mind is on “auto-pilot” and heading in the wrong direction, and then taking back the controls and steering towards what is actually important in that moment.
There is extensive research showing that daily mindfulness practice can enhance executive functioning (including attention, impulse control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and emotion regulation), decrease anxiety, and improve mood. I teach these skills to the vast majority of my clients, but it is up to them to practice them regularly outside of our sessions.
Unfortunately, many clients find mindfulness practice to be a surprisingly difficult habit to incorporate into their daily lives. With persistence and often a great degree of creativity, however, these clients often discover their own unique styles of engaging in daily mindfulness. Sometimes they just need someone maintaining that “non-judgmental stance” who is gently but persistently guiding them until they find what works for them.
If you are interested in finding out more or even getting started on your own mindfulness practice, there are countless books, websites, and smartphone apps to assist you. Personally, I can recommend the Headspace app, and anything by Jon Kabat-Zinn. For kids ages 12 and under, I have had a lot of success with GoZen. Good luck!