Mindfulness Meditation
Introduction
Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that involves focusing your mind on your experiences, such as your own emotions, thoughts, and sensations, in the present moment. It is simply a practical way to notice thoughts, physical sensations, sights, sounds, smells - anything we might not normally notice. The actual skills might be simple, but because it is so different to how our minds normally behave, it takes a lot of practice.
History
Mindfulness meditation originates from Buddhist traditions, but has been extracted and taught in a secular way since approximately 1979, when Jon Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The practice has since entered the mainstream, primarily through the work of Kabat-Zinn and his MBSR program, which has been replicated and adapted for various settings and populations.
Practice
Mindfulness meditation is practiced sitting with eyes closed, cross-legged on a cushion, or on a chair, with the back straight. Attention is put on the movement of the abdomen when breathing in and out, or on the awareness of the breath as it goes in and out the nostrils. If one becomes distracted by thoughts, one returns to focusing on the breath. In some practices, a word or phrase, known as a mantra, is repeated. Meditators are encouraged to acknowledge distracting thoughts and feelings, but not to judge them. Instead, they are instructed to return their focus to their breath, or their mantra. This cultivation of awareness is said to help develop a capacity for psychological insight and emotional healing.
Benefits
Research has shown that mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function. Studies have also shown that mindfulness can improve mental health and wellbeing. Regular practice can help to reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance focus, and improve relationships.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
MBSR is an eight-week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to assist people with stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. It is a practical approach that trains attention, allowing people to cultivate awareness and therefore enabling them to have more choice and take wise action in their lives.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
MBCT is a psychological therapy designed to aid in preventing the relapse of depression, specifically in individuals with Major depressive disorder (MDD). It uses traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) methods and adds in newer psychological strategies such as mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. Cognitive methods can include educating the participant about depression.