What if taking time to meditate meant giving yourself a breath of fresh air in a world that moves fast, too fast? Mindfulness meditation is a secular, simple, and accessible practice, with no goal of success, just being there, present to your breath, your sensations, your body.
What is mindfulness meditation?
Mindfulness, as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, consists of "bringing one's attention to the present moment, moment by moment, intentionally and without judgment." It is a way of inhabiting the moment, with curiosity, gentleness, and openness.
The practice can take several forms:
- being attentive to one's breathing,
- observing one's thoughts without clinging to them,
- returning to the body, to sounds, to emotions, etc.
Meditation does not mean "thinking about nothing" or "emptying one's mind." It is exercising one's attention. It is training one's mind to return, again and again, to what is there.