Mindfulness is both the practice of meditation and an attitude to living that encompasses:
- living in the present moment,
- being attentive to your own mental and physical states,
- adopting an attitude of compassion, ‘non-clinging” and acceptance of what is.
A growing body of research studies show the benefits of mindfulness for health, peace of mind, focus, and managing stress and relationships. Mindfulness is becoming more widely taught and used in business, education, and healthcare. For example, Google has a “mindfulness officer.”
The quotes below will help you better understand the attitude of mindfulness so you can begin to practice it in your daily life.
- Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.
–Thich Nhat Hanh - Mindfulness is about the present, but I also think it’s about being real. Being awake to everything. Feeling like nothing can hurt you if you can look it straight on.
–Krista Tippett - Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.
–Jon Kabat-Zinn - Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).
–James Baraz - Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing.
–Sharon Salzberg - You cannot control the results, only your actions.
–Allan Lokos - We use mindfulness to observe the way we cling to pleasant experiences & push away unpleasant ones.
–Sharon Salzberg, - Mindfulness meditation doesn’t change life. Life remains as fragile and unpredictable as ever. Meditation changes the heart’s capacity to accept life as it is.
–Sylvia Boorstein - Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.
–Amit Ray - Mindfulness requires that we not “over-identify” with thoughts and feelings, so that we are not caught up and swept away by negativity.
–Brene Brown