Mindfulness Not Exclusive to Buddhism

Many people are uncertain about mindfulness and think that it is exclusive to the practice of Buddhism.  Even though mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, it is, in essence, about living life in the moment as well as being a type of formal meditation practice.  Mindfulness meditation helps quiet mind chatter and cultivates present moment awareness.

 

A view of  my garden.  It is hard not to be fully present in a garden.

Practicing mindfulness not only helps to intentionally be in the present moment, it helps you to accept each moment without judgment no matter what the moment brings.

 

Mindfulness meditation has become part of mainstream medicine thanks to the pioneering work of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the UMass Medical Center.  If you want to learn more about mindfulness, you can join a center, take a class, listen to a mindfulness meditation CD, become involved with yoga or Tai Chi as they are also beneficial practices.  You do not need to be a Buddhist to practice mindfulness or to live mindfully - its just about wanting to be in the moment "on purpose".