What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, when he developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts to treat the chronically ill. Since that time, the practice has yielded such excellent results that it has been adopted in schools, prisons, hospitals and health services around the world.

Mindfulness is a practice that allows us to notice the present moment – our thoughts, physical sensations and emotions – with kindness and without any judgement of ourselves or of others. It helps us to acknowledge our emotions without being ruled by them and helps to stop us from worrying about the past or feeling anxious about the future. By using various exercises such as meditation, breathing exercises and a range of simple techniques, we can become more productive and less ‘busy’, we can moderate our emotions and actions, reduce stress and therefore find joy in everyday life once again.

Mindfulness is a practice that can have life-changing effects. Throughout the world mindfulness is now being hailed as not only an effective stress-reliever but also as a way to help those with chronic illnesses and depression. Take a look at this short video to give you an idea of the science behind mindfulness and then read on to find out all the benefits mindfulness can bring.

Here are just some of the benefits of mindfulness practice:

Increases immune function & energy levels
Lowers blood pressure & heart rate
Increases attention, focus & perception
Increases optimism and relaxation
Lessens worry, anxiety and impulsivity
Improves resilience against pain and adversity
Improves feelings of being calm and internally still
Gives feelings of being connected
Helps prevent emotional eating, smoking and addictive behaviour
Lessens feelings of fear, loneliness and depression
Increases memory recall and function
Increases creative and cognitive thinking
Helps in acceptance of how things really are, instead of how you want things to be