Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide

If it seems like everyone is talking about mindfulness, you’re not imagining things. Mindfulness is one of the most important skills we can develop to navigate our lives with greater ease, self-acceptance, and happiness.

And thanks to a tenfold increase in mindfulness research, we’re also seeing its potential and benefits in everything from healthcare and education to leadership training and conflict resolution.

Most important of all, the ability to be more mindful is something we all possess and can make stronger at any time. It just takes practice. Read on to learn how.

Cory Muscara describes it as the practice of being with our experience rather than in our experience, in a way that’s spacious, curious, and heartfelt.

Mindfulness is:

• Curious
• Easy to learn
• Friendly and kind
• Key to mental fitness
• A natural ability that everyone possesses
• A technique that works with your body and mind

Mindfulness is not:

• Religious
• Willpower
• A blank mind
• Becoming passive
• Stopping all thought
• An escape from reality

Not exactly. Mindfulness is a quality of mind that is strengthened through the practice of meditation and also can be used with many other practices. Sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, or you might see them combined, as with mindfulness meditation. That’s because meditation, in any form, trains you to mindfully focus your attention on an “anchor,” such as your breath; a “mantra,” or a word that you repeat silently to yourself; an image that you hold in your mind; a physical sensation; or a sound. Practicing meditation regularly bolsters your ability to direct your awareness—your attention—and keep it where you want. In this way, meditation strengthens your mindfulness “muscle.”

Mindfulness is also often paired with other activities, such as mindful eating, mindful walking, and mindful listening, to name a few. These mindfulness exercises can be used throughout your day to help you develop greater self-awareness.

As an added benefit, through mindfulness practice, you learn to recognize your thought patterns without judging them, gain insight into your feelings and emotions, and gain an embodied sense of both your capacity and your boundaries. All of these benefits of mindfulness help grow self-esteem and a grounding sense of befriending yourself.

The best way to understand mindfulness is to experience it for yourself!

Take a look around the room where you’re reading this. What do you see? Furniture, assorted objects, painted walls; maybe books, pictures, a window. Is there an overhead light, a lamp, or both? Perhaps there are other people in the room or your dog is sleeping nearby. Is the air warm, cool, neutral? Is there a breeze 6+from an open door, airflow from a vent?

Just notice what’s there.

Are there any sounds that stand out? A car driving by, a door closing, the tapping of fingers on a keyboard, people talking, the steam from an espresso machine.

And what about you? Can you turn your attention inward to notice what’s going on inside your body? Do you feel at ease? Is your breathing slow and steady, rushed or shallow? Can you feel your heart beating? Do you feel tired, alert? Bring your awareness to those places where your body touches a surface, such as the backs of your thighs on your seat, your forearms resting on a table, your feet on the floor. Where are your hands right now?

All of these moments of simply noticing what’s there are the basic component of how to practice mindfulness. They are mindfulness.  And the purpose of it is to train your mind to be more present.

So much of our waking lives is spent in our heads. We think about the future—anticipating what will happen, what we’ll say or do; we ruminate on the past—what we wished we’d said or done, how it could have been different; we daydream; we remember; we judge. We get distracted and go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole chasing thoughts. Simply put: Our thinking minds are constantly churning.

Now, add in the realities and events of everyday life. It gets busy up there in these big ol’ brains of ours, as we analyze, strategize, question, anticipate, fantasize, regret—and on and on.

All this thinking effectively takes us out of the present moment, of what’s happening right now. Or, at the very least, it distorts our experience of what is truly here.

Being present is one of the best ways to reduce suffering, in any form. This may seem like a bold statement, but it’s what the practice and the science of mindfulness is all about.

Consider this: When the events and actualities of our lives are “good”—we’re falling in love, on vacation, enjoying friendship, learning something new and exciting, feeling appreciated at work—we relish it.  We feel happy and relaxed but also wide awake and alert.  We are fully present and in a naturally mindful state.

When things are challenging—we lose someone or something we love, we’re concerned about money, we get a frightening health diagnosis, we’re in pain—our thinking minds go into overdrive with worry, anticipation, planning, strategizing, and more worry.

In other words, our attention is anywhere but in the present. This state is amplified by all the distractions in our lives, from an overwhelming amount of choice in everything we do to the addictive nature of social media.

Yet, the present moment is exactly where we need to be in order to fully understand our circumstances and also to clearly see our options.

And then there’s this: Even in the midst of difficulty, life is full of exquisite moments—

The way sunlight shines through the trees. The sound of kids laughing uproariously on a playground. A moment of downtime in an otherwise hectic day. The smell of someone barbecuing nearby. A small kindness from a stranger.

Presence is what allows us to notice these moments. It’s the essence of how to practice mindfulness. And the very act of noticing gives you a mental and emotional pause from feelings of distress or overwhelm. This respite, however brief, puts some distance between you and the upset. You get a break from all the worry. (Importantly, your body also gets a break from the very real onslaught of the stress response. More on that in a minute.)

Within this pause is opportunity.You might gain a new perspective on the situation. It might mean the difference between simply reacting in a habitual way and making a different, perhaps healthier choice.

Being present also helps us see that it’s not only the “good” experiences that can bring a smile, make us feel connected to others, lift our spirits, or give us hope. These moments happen all the time, even when things are challenging. We just need to notice them.

Every single person will benefit from developing and strengthening their natural ability and capacity for mindfulness. And one of the best things about mindfulness is that it’s available to everyone at any time. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription; it’s not dependent on age or physical ability. It’s easy to learn, and the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Mindfulness meditation is a technique for cultivating mindfulness by sitting quietly for a set amount of time and resting your attention on your breathing. When your mind wanders from your breath, you bring it back. And you do this again and again until your time is complete.

Like most habits, mindfulness meditation gets easier with practice. It’s often compared to building muscle. The more you exercise the muscle, the stronger it gets. The more you practice any mindfulness technique, and particularly mindfulness meditation, the stronger the benefits you’ll experience, including greater focus and calm, feeling less reactive, the ability to hold a greater perspective, even liking yourself and others more.

Most experts recommend a daily mindfulness meditation practice of 10 or more minutes. You can also split that into two smaller practices of 5 minutes each, preferably at the same times, such as first thing in the morning and in the evening.

But you can also practice mindfulness for any amount of time, even just a minute here and a minute there will help you develop your innate capacity for mindfulness.

Yes, it’s possible to experience the benefits of mindfulness in just 60 seconds. In fact, “mini-practices” are perfect when you have limited time but want to keep honing your skill at staying present. Try one the next time you’re:

• On hold
• About to eat
• At a stoplight
• Going to sleep
• Just waking up
• Sitting at your desk
• Commuting to work
• Enjoying your morning tea
• Waiting in line at the coffee shop
  

Bring a mindful approach to meals by slowing down and giving your full attention to every aspect of eating, including sensory stimulation, physical sensations, feelings, and more.

Apply mindfulness to slow-moving exercises such as walking, yoga, or tai chi by being aware of both your inner experience and the environment around you.

A powerful way to deepen relationships by keeping your attention on the speaker and on what is being said, with the intention of listening to understand and not to respond.

Whenever you get caught up in “what if” thinking and worry, ask yourself, What’s here? Turn your awareness to physical sensation and to noticing: Feel your feet on the ground, notice the temperature of the room or any sounds, tune into your breath.

Shift out of autopilot by giving your full attention to whatever task is at hand, such as brushing your teeth or making coffee.

Over the past few years there’s been tremendous interest about the potential of mindfulness to improve our work lives. Studies have found that mindfulness can improve job satisfaction, boost confidence in one's skills, and improve focus and task management, among other things.

In the same ways that mindfulness supports overall health and well-being in everyday life, these benefits are useful at work. It can make you more aware of your physical needs for a break, for example. It can also help you to notice triggers so that you can pause before you react. These kinds of positive impacts have inspired many companies and organizations to offer mindfulness training to employees and managers.

From managing anxiety and stress to playing a helpful role in the treatment of chronic depression and addiction, mindfulness is an important skill for mental health.

Mindfulness supports mental health in all the ways mentioned above—helping us to bring our awareness into the present moment, to take a mental and emotional pause, and to gain perspective on our situation instead of letting our habitual thoughts and reactions run the show.

Some of the most encouraging mental-health benefits of mindfulness are in its ability to help us observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment and to generate greater compassion for ourselves.

Self-criticism and low self-esteem can contribute to feelings of distress, disempowerment, anxiety, and shame. These feelings can contribute to conditions including depression and substance abuse, and may complicate others, including ADHD.

By developing our self-awareness and encouraging a kinder view of ourselves, mindfulness helps us be with our emotions instead of needing to push them away and to consider our circumstances with greater humanity.

Bolstered by a growing body of mindfulness research, mindfulness is increasingly used as a non-pharmacological adjunct and with cognitive behavioral therapy for treating conditions including PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and anxiety disorders, among others.

Two widely respected mindfulness training programs include Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR), a landmark 8-week program created by medical researcher Jon Kabat-Zinn, is highly regarded for helping people regulate their emotions and manage stress. An offshoot of MBSR, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MSCT) is often used to help reduce incidence of depressive relapse and in addiction treatment.

Clearly the applications and benefits of mindfulness have wide reach. We'd argue that no matter who you are or where you are on your journey, mindfulness has something to offer you. We're excited for you to experience it yourself.