What is Mindfulness?

Our working definition of mindfulness is: Knowing what is happening while it is happening, without preference.

As you sit and read this, you can choose to be mindful. You can choose to come into the present moment and know you are sitting here, while you are sitting here.

Spend a moment just becoming aware of your experience as you sit here: any thoughts passing through the mind, any emotion you are experiencing now and any physical sensations you can feel in the body.

Becoming aware of our experience relates directly to the ‘knowing what is happening while it happening’ element of our definition.

Choosing Kindness

Working with the attitude that we bring to this awareness is the ‘without preference’ part of the mindfulness definition. The attitude we bring to our mindfulness practice is one of kindly curiosity and self-acceptance regardless of what is happening in the moment. This means that regardless of whether a moment is pleasant, unpleasant or boring, we train to turn up and be present for that moment with kindness, curiosity and a sense of this is my experience in this moment and it is OK.

It is particularly important to cultivate kindness and curiosity towards whatever is happening in the internal environment of our mind and our body: our thoughts, our emotions and physical sensations.

Feel free to watch this video excerpt from our free 10 month online course, Living with Presence. Fay Adams speaks about the importance and benefits of ‘choosing kindness’.

Would like to know more about what you can do to move towards choosing kindness and, indeed, choosing joy?

Click here to join our Joyful Club

Want to know more about mindfulness and train with us?

Here’s a short talk on our Mindfulness Practitioner Training Pathway: