Mindfulness means paying attention to what is going
on in your own mind from moment-to-moment, deliberately and without judgement. This means simply
observing any sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts as they pass through your mind, without
having to believe or disbelieve any thoughts, and without reacting to emotions or feelings.
Mindfulness sounds simple when described like this, but takes a lot of practice. Over the course
of time, practising mindfulness can have the effect of changing the way you relate to your
thoughts and feelings, making it possible to deal with difficult or troubling thoughts and
feelings in a new way, and opening up new choices and opportunities.
While the benefits of mindfulness are sometimes over-hyped, for many people the benefits
can be very real. Some people coming to mindfulness for the first time will experience
benefits quite quickly. While everybody is different, many people report experiencing a sense
of inner peace, being more able to focus on the present moment, feeling okay with the ups and
downs of life, being better able to prioritise how they spend their time, and having improved
relationships withother people. There is a growing list of well-researched medical benefits
associated with mindfulness, including the treatment of depression and stress-related
disorders, which is why mindfulness is recommended by the NHS in the UK (and its equivalent in
the USA). It is quite common for people to say that mindfulness has changed their lives – and
usually for the better.