Wednesday, March 30, 2011

DAY 179 - MINDFULNESS

Dat 179

Mindfulness, an approach initially developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, was first designed to assist him in his work with people suffering from a wide range of serious medical problems. In order to help patients cope with their conditions, Jon Kabat-Zinn developed an eight -week programme, integrating meditation, yoga and some discussion within a group setting of the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. This approach is now widely being used by therapists as a means to improve the overall quality of life.


Of course, mindfulness can also be used by anyone wanting to enjoy life to its fullest. It is ideal if you want to cultivate awareness of the mind and body unity and work on improving your emotional, physical, and spiritual health. It was influenced in great part by Buddhist beliefs and practices.


Most of us spend the greater part of our lives thinking of the future or the past. As a result, we are sometimes not aware of the things that surround us. Mindfulness emphasises the importance of living in the moment, observing what goes on, but without judgement. It could be applied to any moment of your life, whether you are cooking, running or doing groceries.   The idea is to live the moment as it is, without trying to transform it, but by accepting it.


Mindful meditation is at the basis of the mindful practice. It has been shown that practicing it on a regular basis can not only improve mood but also reduce stress and anxiety. Practicing mindful meditation is not really complicated or difficult. It requires to simply focus on breathing in and out, sitting cross-legged or on the chair in a comfortable position, letting the thoughts come and go without judgement (don't get upset at yourself for having thoughts), always redirecting the focus on the breathing.

As any other type of meditation, mindful meditation requires regular practice in order for it to really be beneficial.


"It's not a matter of letting go—you would if you could. Instead of 'Let it go', we should probably say 'Let it be'.

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."



Jon Kabat-Zinn

If you like this post, pass it along.  To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group:  500daystohappiness

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you beleave in buddhisme?

Unknown said...

I believe that every religion and belief system is worth exploring. Throughout history, Buddhism has always promoted peace, love and compassion. These are fundamental values that all human beings should abide by.... So, do I believe in Buddhism? I am not a Buddhist per say, but I certainly think adhering to some Buddhist precepts can help me become a happier person...