What is "mindfulness"

Mindful \Mind"ful\, a. Bearing in mind; regardful; attentive; heedful; observant.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
--Ps. viii. 4.

I promise you to be mindful of your admonitions.
--Hammond. [1913 Webster] -- Mind"ful*ly, adv. -- Mind"ful*ness, n.

n. 1 awareness 2 inclination to be mindful or aware 3 (qualifier: as understood in Buddhism and psychology) pay attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally 4 A form of secular meditation practice with roots in Buddhist meditation.

n. the trait of staying aware of (paying close attention to) your responsibilities [syn: heedfulness] [ant: unmindfulness, unmindfulness]

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training. The term "mindfulness" is a translation of the Pali-term sati, which is a significant element of some Buddhist traditions. The recent popularity of mindfulness in the West is generally considered to have been initiated by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Large population-based research studies have indicated that the practice of mindfulness is strongly correlated with well-being and perceived health. Studies have also shown that rumination and worry contribute to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in the reduction of both rumination and worry.

Clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on mindfulness for helping people who are experiencing a variety of psychological conditions. Mindfulness practice is being employed in psychology to alleviate a variety of mental and physical conditions, such as bringing about reductions in depression symptoms, reducing stress, anxiety, and in the treatment of drug addiction. It has gained worldwide popularity as a distinctive method to handle emotions.

Clinical studies have documented both physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in healthy adults and children. Programs based on MBSR and similar models have been widely adapted in schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans centers, and other environments.

Mindfulness is a popular method to handle emotions by paying attention to them. It is derived from the Buddhist concept Sati.

• Sati
• Satipatthana
• Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing)
• Vipassanā
• Buddhism and psychology

• Mindfulness-based stress reduction
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
• Acceptance and commitment therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Functional analytic psychotherapy
• Compassion focused therapy

• Mindfulness, a 1989 book by Ellen Langer
• Mindfulness (journal)

• Wakefulness
• Attention
• Alertness
• Prudence
• Conscientiousness
• Awareness
• Consciousness
• Observation

• Mindful economics, an approach proposed by Joel Magnuson

• Sati (disambiguation)

Mindfulness a is peer-reviewed academic journal on psychology published by Springer Science+Business Media.