WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

To demystify the M word, here is my interpretation as I’ve been taught by my own mentors. Mindfulness is the state of being truly and purposefully present, without judgement, with curiosity and kindness. This definition was inspired by my dear friend and author of THE MINDFUL DAY, Laurie J Cameron. Mindfulness is also a skill set for being good at being fully human. This means navigating thoughts and emotions. Perhaps the most concrete definition is that mindfulness is mental fitness. Yet it is not just about training the brain. It is also about nurturing the heart. This is where compassion and wisdom align.

Mindfulness and meditation are often considered the same thing. However, meditation is simply a deliberate training of awareness. If mindfulness is fitness for the mind, then you can think of meditation as a fitness class. We need to do our reps and sets in our minds just as we do for our bodies. Meditation and compassionate awareness are mindfulness practices. To become mindful, we must practice these qualities of mindfulness; being present, with compassion, while minimizing judgment and harnessing curiosity. Mindfulness is all about the practice, not the performance. There is no end game, no outcome, no striving. Mindfulness is simply embracing the here and now with as few distractions and least resistance as the moment can allow.