Traditionally mindfulness was one part of a way of life that included morality, concentration, wisdom, monastic doctrine. Today you will find mindfulness in the corporate sector, popular magazines and psychology practices globally. Yet, if you compare the intention of the Buddha, to end suffering, and the intention of the psychologists, to relieve suffering, you can see the congruence. It's up to each of us to discern for ourselves what is helpful. The therapeutic use of mindfulness in the secular world has been ushered in by an ever growing wealth of peer reviewed research.

The centre for mindfulness studies explains, “Mindfulness-based interventions have gained considerable popularity in practice and in research, which has grown exponentially since the 1980s. Numerous studies and accounts have documented its social, health and workplace benefits with both clinical and non-clinical populations. Moreover, research has also demonstrated that client outcomes are improved when psychotherapists and clinicians practise mindfulness.” (2020).

Current peer-reviewed research says that practising mindfulness can

• Reduce symptoms of depression

• Reduce symptoms of burnout

• Reduce symptoms of anxiety

• Reduce stress

• Reduce the speed of ageing

• Reduce emotional reactivity

• Improve focus

• Improve memory

• Improve immune response

• Improve recovery rate from illness

• Improve resilience to stress and pain

• Improve interpersonal skills

• Improve productivity

A helpful practice is one that serves your needs, understanding and level of development. Mindfulness practice is focusing awareness on an experience, staying with it, returning to it, and witnessing that process objectively. This can be done while focusing on any sensation like the physical sensation of breathing, the sound of the birds singing, the taste of a raisin or even while gazing at a flower. There are also active meditations like walking, Yoga, Qi Gong, or even doing the dishes.

What do you need?

- Consider how much time, energy and space you have for practice before dedicating yourself. It can be disappointing to overcommit and then digress.

Do you understand the practice?

- Research a basic understanding of the practice before trying it. This will ward off unnecessary questions and doubts arising during practice and ensure you are doing it usefully.

Are you able to practice it?

- Consider your level of development of mindfulness before engaging with a practice. If you dive in too deep with no prior experience you may find yourself deterred from practising or worse, practising in an unhelpful way. It helps to seek guidance from an experienced teacher.

If you would like to try a 10 minute mindful breath awareness meditation from one of our own click here.

Don’t be afraid to shop around and experiment to find the right practice for you.