Hi, welcome back to

your Daily Mindfulness.

In today's session, we're going

to explore some of the nuances

of how we define mindfulness.

And to do this, I'm going to

offer you several different

definitions of mindfulness that

are overlapping, but also distinct.

So first by Dr.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, this is one of the

most common, who says mindfulness

is the awareness that arises from

paying attention on purpose in the

present moment, non-judgmentally,

the awareness that arises from

paying attention on purpose in the

present moment, non-judgmentally.

Sylvia Boorstein, another teacher

says, mindfulness is the aware, balanced

acceptance of the present experience.

It isn't more complicated than that.

It is opening to or receiving

the present moment, pleasant or

unpleasant, just as it is without

either clinging to it or rejecting it.

So notice how that one lands for you.

And then this one by the great

Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn.

He says, mindfulness shows us what

is happening in our bodies, our

emotions, our minds, and in the world.

Through mindfulness, we avoid

harming ourselves and others.

So notice that one, which also

has an outward orientation.

So each explanation should give

you a textural feel for what

mindfulness aims to cultivate.

It is an experience that we're

trying to figure out the words for.

How do we define it?

The definition I've proposed for

mindfulness is the practice of being

with our experience rather than

in our experience in a way that is

spacious, curious and heartfelt.

So that's another one you can add.

And the idea here is not to give

you the definitive answer, but

for you to hear a lot of different

perspectives on mindfulness.

Since you are practicing with us on

Mindfulness.com and you're developing

your mindfulness practice, I think

it's important to have a number of

different perspectives to see where they

overlap and where there might be some

distinctions as you start to develop your

felt sense of mindfulness in your life.

So thanks for your practice

and for being on the journey.

Let's settle in for today's meditation.