Mindfulness Meditation
A Guide for the Wandering Mind
Mindfulness is the
practice of purposely bringing one's attention in the present moment
without judgment,a skill one develops through meditation or other training. Mindfulness
derives from sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions,and
based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques. Though
definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist
traditions explain what constitutes mindfulness such as how
past, present and
future moments arise and cease as momentary
sense impressions and mental phenomena.
Clinical studies have documented both physical- and mental-health
benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in
adults and children. Research studies have shown a positive relationship
between trait mindfulness (which can be cultivated through the practice
of mindfulness-based interventions) and psychological health.