Mindfulness meditation

 Mindfulness meditation is a particular way of paying attention to the present moment. It is one of two major forms of meditation out of the Buddhist traditions in Asia, which are at least 2,500 years old. Mindfulness medi­tation was developed to help cultivate greater awareness and to help people live fully each moment of their lives, even the painful ones. In the United States, mind­fulness is associated with a particular ap­proach to stress management created by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Techniques of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is sometimes referred to as insight meditation, or vipassana. Sitting comfortably, spine should be upright, supported and the head should balanced naturally, looking forward with gently closing the eyes and the breath be natural and gentle. This med­itation is begun by focusing attention on one sound or observing the breath. Breathing should be through the nose, letting the belly rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. The body must become still. The second part of the process involves allowing the mind to observe any thoughts or feelings that arise and maintaining a nonjudgmental attitude toward whatever occurs, moment by moment. Attempt should not be made to control your thoughts. The more you try to control thoughts, the stronger they become. This process allows the meditator to learn about the workings of his or her mind at the present moment and to gain insight into the spend­ing of time and energy. Equal acceptance of the good and bad, pleasant and unpleas­ant is the goal. The quality of awareness, not the content of the thoughts and feelings, is what is valued. This technique can be practiced in a sitting position or while eating, walking, or doing yoga postures.