mindfulness |
"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally."
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness can simply be described as noticing what is happening in the present moment without judgement.
Mindfulness does not involve any religious, cultural or scientific traditions or beliefs. Practicing mindfulness is a simple, practical way to notice our thoughts, sights, sounds, smells and physical sensations - things that we may not typically notice.
Paying attention to what is happening around us may seem easy, but because it is so different from how our minds usually act, being mindful takes a lot of practice. Often our minds are busy in the future or the past - thinking about what we need to do or going over what we have already done. Simply noticing what we don't normally notice allows us to experience and appreciate what is happening around us.
While our minds typically wander about half the time, when we practice being mindful, we are exercising our attention "muscle" and becoming mentally stronger. This allows us to take more control over our focus of attention - choosing what we focus on, rather than letting our attention be controlled by distressful thoughts that take us away from the present moment.
1www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm
Mindfulness does not involve any religious, cultural or scientific traditions or beliefs. Practicing mindfulness is a simple, practical way to notice our thoughts, sights, sounds, smells and physical sensations - things that we may not typically notice.
Paying attention to what is happening around us may seem easy, but because it is so different from how our minds usually act, being mindful takes a lot of practice. Often our minds are busy in the future or the past - thinking about what we need to do or going over what we have already done. Simply noticing what we don't normally notice allows us to experience and appreciate what is happening around us.
While our minds typically wander about half the time, when we practice being mindful, we are exercising our attention "muscle" and becoming mentally stronger. This allows us to take more control over our focus of attention - choosing what we focus on, rather than letting our attention be controlled by distressful thoughts that take us away from the present moment.
1www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is a word that describes how our brain changes in response to our experiences. When we "exercise our brains" through practicing mindfulness or by completing other mental challenges, we change the actual structure and functioning of our brain. We can literally "train" our brains to do some amazing things!
mindfulness at school2
We are practicing mindfulness in school with the goal of decreasing stress levels and impulsive behaviors as well as increasing attention, emotion regulation, classroom engagement and compassion. Mindfulness skills are especially vital for children who frequently experience high levels of stress inside and/or outside of school. Mindfulness works by creating space between an event and our reaction. Using mindfulness skills helps us to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively when facing difficult situations.
2www.mindfulschools.org
2www.mindfulschools.org
mindfulness links
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