The very practical purpose of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation is to help you focus your attention and be aware of the present moment, not just while you meditate but as you face challenges throughout the day. In this video, Dr. Patricia Rockman of Center for Mindfulness Studies discusses briefly what mindfulness is and how it can positively impact our lives.
Patricia Rockman MD, CCFP, FCFP has been educating healthcare providers in stress reduction, change management, Cognitive-Based Therapy and Mindfulness-Based practices for over 20 years. She is a founder and the Director of Education and Clinical Services at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies and the developer of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Facilitation Certificate Program.
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention,
on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally...
in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
- Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness as we know it today began with the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, when he invited chronically ill patients to participate in a new eight-week stress-reduction program, now named Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This gave birth to a substantial amount of research demonstrating how mindfulness-based interventions improve mental and physical health-- comparably so to other psychological interventions.
From MBSR, other programs have developed, like Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for preventing depressive relapse, treating mood disorders and ultimately reducing depression, anxiety and stress.
How can mindfulness be helpful for us?
Hear from Jon Kabat Zinn about the benefits of mindfulness in this 2-minute YouTube video.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., is the author or several best-selling mindfulness books like Full Catastrophe Living and Coming to Our Senses. He is a professor of medicine emeritus and developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Mindfulness is both simple and challenging to explain. The best way to learn about it is experientially, so if you’re a beginner who would like to know more, we invite you to join one of our Info Sessions to deepen your understanding of mindfulness.