Mindfulness is becoming aware of what you are feeling, sensing, and thinking in the present moment. The concept is simple, but it can be challenging to practice. As to how it works, it varies in some people.
While the overarching aim of mindfulness is to bring your awareness to the present moment and explore the inner workings of your mind without judgment, there are different ways of achieving it.
Common mindfulness exercises include mindfulness meditation, body scanning, and mindful yoga. Any of these can be performed with a guide, such as a yoga instructor, in a workshop like the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, through Jon Kabat-Zinn’s scheduled training program, or independently in your own home at your own time.
As you start your mindfulness practice, remember that it is what you make of it. The more time you dedicate to practicing mindfulness, the better your ability to stay in the present moment will be, and the more you will benefit from it. We also recommend doing mindfulness without specific goals or expectations in mind. Doing so can lead to discouragement or cause you to become judgmental, which is not what mindfulness is all about.
We must also clarify how mindfulness works based on what it is not. There are many misconceptions about this practice. A commonly held belief is that mindfulness is about “fixing” something wrong with you, that it means clearing your mind of all thoughts, that it belongs to a particular religion, and that it is a way of escaping reality. All of these claims are false.
Practicing mindfulness is not about “fixing” anything. It is simply about achieving a state of alert, focused relaxation by bringing your attention to thoughts and sensations in the present. It is also not about clearing or emptying your mind of all thoughts; in fact, doing so is contrary to the purpose of mindfulness. It is also not rooted in any religion but is practiced by people who adhere to different beliefs and those with no religious affiliation.
Finally, mindfulness is not about escaping reality. It is about being present in it and observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment.