What is Mindfulness Training?

Mindfulness meditation is a practice critical to mindfulness and forms one of its three qualities. To fully understand the concept, it is best to break down the terms mindfulness and meditation and explain them separately.

Mindfulness for beginners is about bringing awareness to the present moment. It is the practice of focusing on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Mindfulness is a basic human ability and should be approached without judgment. It can also be practiced by anyone anywhere and at any time. Whenever you are aware of your state of mind, your surroundings, or what you’re experiencing, you are being mindful. Let’s break down the basics of mindfulness further:

Find the Time and Space

There is no mandatory time or special equipment needed to practice mindfulness. You just have to be willing to dedicate some time and space to it each day (or week).

Observe the Present Moment

Start your mindfulness practice by observing the present moment. Specifically, take note of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. The aim, however, is not to empty your mind.

Avoid Judgment

Non-judgment is one of the seven pillars of mindfulness. It can be challenging to master but try not to judge yourself for any thoughts that pop into your head every time you practice. Instead, if and when you notice judgmental thoughts entering your mind, recognize them and let them pass by.

Redirect the Mind to the Present

It’s normal for our minds to wander. Even if you have practiced mindfulness for years, the mind will inevitably lose focus one way or the other. It’s how you react to your wandering mind that impacts the practice. When you notice that your thoughts have gotten away from the present moment, recognize this without judging yourself and gently guide them back.

Be Kind

Kindness is crucial to any mindfulness practice. Aim to be kind to yourself and, by extension, to your mind. Don’t beat yourself up no matter how many times it wanders off or when judgmental thoughts come in. Recognize that your thoughts have gotten away and guide them back to the present moment. Acknowledging and returning your thoughts to the present is a part of every mindfulness practice.

Now that we’ve defined mindfulness, let’s move on to meditation. As mentioned above, meditation is a key component of mindfulness. It is an ancient technique that has been practiced for thousands of years to sharpen focus, connect to the body and breathing, and promote inner peace and harmony.

Many types of meditation exist, but regardless of which one you choose, it can offer physical and psychological benefits. Though many religions have adopted meditation in some ways, it is not entirely rooted in one faith.

Combining what we now know about mindfulness and meditation, we should find that mindfulness meditation is centered on bringing awareness to your thoughts as they pass through your mind. The aim is not to judge the thoughts but to recognize them and let them pass.

There is a misconception that the goal of mindfulness meditation is to empty your mind so you can reach a meditative state where your physical and emotional pain will go away. No such state or condition exists, and emptying your mind would be contrary to what mindfulness meditation is about. Instead, it is about exploring the inner workings of your mind as rooted in curiosity, observation, and recognition of your thoughts, sensations, and emotions.

Mindfulness meditation is the most popular form of meditation used in the Western world and traces its origins in Buddhist teachings. Today, however, the practice is introduced without any religious affiliation. The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, for example, is secular in approach as it emphasizes the scientific and research aspects of mindfulness.

There are many reasons to practice mindfulness, one of which is because of its many benefits. Whether you’re looking to gain a particular benefit or enjoy a range of results, the following are often the main reasons you should practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness Reduces Stress

Many people usually see mindfulness as a way of reducing stress. Stress is part of being human, but that doesn’t make it easier to deal with. When we are stressed, our bodies’ cortisol level (the stress hormone) increases. This increased presence can lead to several health conditions, such as high blood pressure, increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, and even sleep difficulty.

However, studies have shown that regularly practicing mindfulness can reduce our body’s natural inflammatory response due to stress. This helps people manage day-to-day stress and even avoid stress-related medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Mindfulness Promotes Self-Awareness

Mindfulness can help people develop better self-connection and understanding. Through mindfulness, you can gain greater awareness of your thought patterns. Recognizing these patterns, especially the negative ones, is critical in developing new, healthier patterns of thought and mindful love. Mindfulness can also help cultivate creativity, make you more compassionate toward yourself and others, and reduce feelings of loneliness.

Mindfulness Helps Manage Pain

Scientific research has found that practicing mindfulness can reduce physical pain, improve the quality of life, and decrease symptoms of depression in people with chronic pain. In short, mindfulness can teach people to cope with pain better or help reduce the sensation of pain.

Mindfulness Lowers High Blood Pressure

The effects of mindfulness on blood pressure levels have been studied with incredible results. Practicing mindfulness regularly has been shown to decrease high blood pressure as it works on relaxing the nerve signals that relate to heart function, blood vessel tension, and the body’s “fight or flight” response.

Mindfulness Increases Attention Span

At its most basic, mindfulness practice helps develop your ability to focus. Thus, it’s not surprising that one key benefit of mindfulness is an increased attention span. Those who practice mindfulness have better attention and accuracy when doing tasks than those who don’t. Mindfulness may even be able to redirect patterns in the brain that contribute to over-worrying, mind wandering, and poor concentration.

Mindfulness Improves Sleep

Many people have insomnia, but mindfulness can help. Research suggests that mindfulness can help you stay asleep longer and lessen the severity of insomnia. How? Mindfulness helps your body and mind relax, allowing you to release tension and control the worries or thoughts in your mind that may be responsible for keeping you up at night.

Mindfulness is becoming aware of what you are feeling, sensing, and thinking in the present moment. The concept is simple, but it can be challenging to practice. As to how it works, it varies in some people.

While the overarching aim of mindfulness is to bring your awareness to the present moment and explore the inner workings of your mind without judgment, there are different ways of achieving it.

Common mindfulness exercises include mindfulness meditation, body scanning, and mindful yoga. Any of these can be performed with a guide, such as a yoga instructor, in a workshop like the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, through Jon Kabat-Zinn’s scheduled training program, or independently in your own home at your own time.

As you start your mindfulness practice, remember that it is what you make of it. The more time you dedicate to practicing mindfulness, the better your ability to stay in the present moment will be, and the more you will benefit from it. We also recommend doing mindfulness without specific goals or expectations in mind. Doing so can lead to discouragement or cause you to become judgmental, which is not what mindfulness is all about.

We must also clarify how mindfulness works based on what it is not. There are many misconceptions about this practice. A commonly held belief is that mindfulness is about “fixing” something wrong with you, that it means clearing your mind of all thoughts, that it belongs to a particular religion, and that it is a way of escaping reality. All of these claims are false.

Practicing mindfulness is not about “fixing” anything. It is simply about achieving a state of alert, focused relaxation by bringing your attention to thoughts and sensations in the present. It is also not about clearing or emptying your mind of all thoughts; in fact, doing so is contrary to the purpose of mindfulness. It is also not rooted in any religion but is practiced by people who adhere to different beliefs and those with no religious affiliation.

Finally, mindfulness is not about escaping reality. It is about being present in it and observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment.

Mindfulness training involves practicing techniques to improve one’s ability to focus on the present moment without judgment. It can be conducted independently or guided through a workshop like the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or MBSR training by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This eight-week mindfulness training program began with the goal of evaluating the effects of mindfulness on a group of people suffering from chronic illnesses who had not been responding to conventional forms of medicine.

The results were so extraordinary that they eventually led to the founding of the MBSR program, which has since enrolled over 25,000 people. It has even attracted a global audience, with MBSR classes taught all over the world, from hospitals to yoga retreats.

Mindfulness training through MBSR involves eight weeks of meetings, classes, and workshops led by certified trainers. The entire program focuses on teaching mindful awareness and using mindfulness to help manage and reduce stress in everyday life.

MBSR is also said to promote other benefits of mind and body awareness, including a reduction in stress and anxiety, nonjudgmental awareness in daily life, equanimity in dealing with change or loss, experiential exploration as it relates to stress, achieving serenity and clarity, and experiencing a more joyful life through effective stress management.

More specifically, the program features 2.5-hour weekly group meetings, a seven-hour, one-day retreat, 45 minutes of daily homework, and formal instruction on three mindfulness techniques: mindfulness meditation, body scanning, and mindful yoga. The workshop is centered on group discussions and allows participants to explore their behaviors, thoughts, and emotions.

Additionally, there is an emphasis on informal practice and not so much on the formal type so the participants can find time to adopt mindfulness into their daily routines. Lastly, the MBSR workshop is guided by the seven pillars of mindfulness (non-judgment, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, and letting go).

Mindfulness Meditation

This form of meditation focuses on awareness of the present, including what one is thinking, feeling, and sensing. Above all else, it is about exploration rather than arriving at a fixed destination.

The goal of mindfulness meditation is not to empty your mind of any thought but to provide an opportunity to venture into your inner workings by focusing on your sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Sensations can be anything from the feeling of air blowing in and out of the nostrils to a smell wafting through the room. Our emotions can also range widely, from love to hate.

Finally, thoughts can be absolutely anything, from thinking about an errand you must run later that day to pondering your hopes and dreams. As you explore the inner workings of your mind, remember to approach your sensations, emotions, and thoughts without judgment.

Nonjudgment is a key element of mindfulness meditation. Relinquishing judgment allows us to unleash our natural curiosity and approach our practice with kindness, compassion, and empathy.

There are many different forms of meditation; you may have even tried some. Movement meditation, visualization meditation, mantra meditation, and transcendental meditation are a few of the most commonly practiced forms worldwide. However, mindfulness meditation focuses on your thoughts as they pass through your mind without judgment.

Observing your thoughts and recognizing patterns is crucial to the practice of mindfulness. Concentration and awareness are also key elements.

Below, we will break down the basics of a mindfulness meditation practice—this type of practice centers on breathing, a physical sensation that can be used as an anchor. Thus, no matter how far your mind wanders, the breath will remain there, and you can always return to it.

As you begin the practice, you may notice that your mind frequently wanders, but this is normal. When you see this, simply bring your attention to the present moment and any accompanying sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Ultimately, with time, patience, and practice, you can train your mind to wander less and maintain awareness of the present moment.

The basic steps of a breath-focused, seated mindfulness meditation practice are as follows:

• Find a comfortable seated position. Mindfulness meditation practices can last anywhere from a few minutes to the better part of an hour. No matter how long your typical practice lasts, you should choose a stable and comfortable spot that should remain so for the duration of your meditation practice. This might mean putting a pillow underneath or behind your lower back for support.
• Adjust your posture. Posture is critical to meditation since it involves sitting still in the same spot for a set period. Given this, you must ensure your body is in a comfortable position. Start by sitting tall without stiffening your body. Let the natural curvature of your spine guide you. Straighten your upper body and relax your shoulders. When it comes to the legs, adjust them according to how you sit. Cross your legs comfortably if you’re sitting on the ground or on a cushion. If this puts too much pressure on your knees, consider sitting in a chair where you should rest your legs, so the bottoms of your feet are flat against the ground. Lastly, relax your arms, with the upper part parallel to your body but relaxed. Meanwhile, the lower arms and palms should rest on your thighs naturally, with the palms facing either up or down.
• Relax your gaze. Drop your chin to relieve pressure from the neck and direct your gaze downwards. If you choose to keep your eyes open, soften your focus so you are not concentrating directly on anything in front of you. Alternatively, you may close your eyes.
• Focus on your breath. Begin by paying attention to the physical sensations of your breath. This may include the feeling of air moving in and out of your nostrils, the rise and fall of your belly or chest, or the sounds of your breath. Stay in the moment by focusing on these sensations.
• Take note of when your mind wanders. When practicing a breath-focused meditation, the goal is to remain focused on your breath. However, your mind will likely wander after a while, which is entirely natural. When this happens, try your best to recognize and acknowledge the moment. There is no need to pass judgment. Simply take note of the fact that it has happened. From there, gently guide your mind back to the breathing sensation. You will have to repeat this part of the practice many times.
• Lift your gaze. When you are ready, open your eyes (if they are closed) and lift your gaze. Take some time to notice any sounds or sights in your immediate environment. This could be rain outside your window, a car alarm, or people chatting on the street. Next, consider your feelings, thoughts, and emotions at that particular moment. You may also want to consider how your body feels. After completing this practice, you may find that your mind and body feel more relaxed and less tense than they did before.

Remember that mindfulness meditation takes practice. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to meditate. However, you need to dedicate a specific amount of time to practice to reap the benefits consistently. Given this, you shouldn’t expect meditation to provide healing overnight. It will take time and practice to experience the positive impact of meditation.

While no magical timeframe is recommended, consistency is key, especially if you’re just beginning. Choose a time and place to practice each week or day. Dedicate as much time as you can to the session, with longer meditations lasting 20 minutes or more turning out to be more beneficial than shorter sessions of only two to three minutes.

Body Scanning

The second technique central to mindfulness practice is body scanning, which is taught in the MBSR program. This meditative practice involves “sweeping” or “scanning” the body in a gradual sequence and paying attention to the different parts alongside any accompanying sensations.

Specifically, you should focus on any pain or tension you experience in each body part, starting with the feet and working your way up or at the head and working your way down. The goal is to improve your awareness of bodily sensations to feel more connected to your physical self.

Although body scanning might appear like a physical exercise, it has several proven benefits for both the body and mind. Recognizing pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary in your body can provide insight into the possible reasons behind unwanted feelings, emotions, or thoughts.

Studies have suggested that body scanning can promote physical and emotional wellness. These benefits include improved sleep, stress and anxiety relief, reduced pain, a greater sense of self-awareness, and increased self-compassion.

If you want to give body scanning a try, follow the steps below:

• Find a comfortable position. Body scanning can be done from a seated position or while lying down, so choose the most comfortable position. For added support, a pillow can be placed beneath your lower back, under your knees, or under your head.
• Focus on your breath. Body scanning is often easier with your eyes closed, as this allows you to focus on your breathing, just like in a mindfulness meditation practice. Pay attention to the sensations of your breath, the rise and fall of your chest or belly, or the air leaving your lungs as you exhale.
• Select a body part. A body scanning practice typically begins with whichever body part you choose —your left hand, right knee, or neck. Some people find it easier to start at the top of their bodies and work their way up (or start with the head and go down to the toes).
• Go slow and pay close attention. As you observe each part of your body, learn to go slow. Spend between 20 seconds and one minute observing the sensations present in each body part. Specifically, notice if there is any pain, discomfort, tension, or simply anything that feels out of the ordinary.
• Acknowledge the pain. If you notice pain or discomfort in certain body parts as you conduct your scan, recognize and sit with the emotions arising from the sensations. Accept them without judgment. For example, if you notice yourself becoming frustrated or angry, do not judge yourself for these emotions. Instead, accept them and let them float away eventually.
• Continue breathing throughout the practice. After acknowledging the pain or tension, keep breathing, imagining the pain decreasing with each breath you take.
• Release your awareness. Move to the next part of your body by releasing your awareness of the previous portion. Some people find it helpful to visualize physically releasing one body part before moving to the next. You may also opt to sync the release of one part with your breathing, letting go of one part as you breathe out and moving on to the next as you breathe in.
• Continue shifting your awareness from one body part to the next. Repeat steps four to seven, going up or down your body until all the parts have been scanned.
• Take note of all wandering thoughts. Like in mindfulness meditation, your mind may wander during a body scanning practice. Recognize when your thoughts drift, which will happen repeatedly through the exercise. This is normal and does not mean you have failed but gently guide your awareness back to the last body part you were scanning when it does happen.
• Visualize and breathe. Once you’ve scanned all body parts, gently bring your awareness back to your entire self. Continue breathing in and out slowly as you sit with the awareness and sensations in your body for several seconds or even minutes.
• Return your focus to your surroundings. Complete the exercise by slowly releasing the focus from your body and returning it to your surroundings. Just as you would finish a mindfulness meditation practice, consider how your body feels and pay attention to the sensations (sights, sounds, etc.) in your immediate environment.

When you practice body scanning, you prioritize your physical and mental well-being. The results may be immediate, or they might take time, so try to engage with body scanning or any mindfulness practice without specific expectations or goals in mind.

Many people are sometimes put off by meditation practices when they don’t see results right away. Still, the more you practice, the more beneficial it becomes. Before you know it, body scanning could become a regular part of your routine, allowing you to have better sleep, improved focus, increased compassion towards yourself and others, and an improved ability to cope with unwanted emotions.

Mindful Yoga

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness’s third and final quality is mindful yoga. This is a combination of Buddhist-style mindfulness practice and the physical exercise of yoga. It was designed to be a form of meditative physical exercise, incorporating a range of beneficial postures and teachings. This hybrid mindfulness-yoga concept was pioneered by Kabat-Zinn in North America in 1990, and has since been adopted by yoga and meditation instructors worldwide.

Mindful yoga is characterized by a holistic approach where the connection between your mind and your breath is recognized. Although mindfulness has been a component of yoga throughout history, mindful yoga is intentionally centered on mind-body awareness above all else. This contrasts with yoga practices that focus on physical alignment and posture.

Additionally, mindful yoga is more about observing than reacting since its goal is cultivating mindfulness through asana. Like body scanning, it is considered meditative as it requires the participants to focus on what they are doing in the present moment, including the thoughts and emotions going through their minds as they go through each pose. With regular practice, mindful yoga can strengthen awareness and presence both on and off the mat.

This type of yoga can be practiced at home or in a studio with the help of an instructor. No matter how you choose to practice mindful yoga, you will first need to have a basic understanding of common yoga poses and postures, as these come in various forms, each with a specific intention.

Some yoga poses are meant to energize, while others are intended to strengthen and condition. There are even postures designed to prepare your body for meditation. These postures are the focus of mindful yoga, which is often practiced before meditation.

There are four mindful yoga poses, and they are as follows:

• Tadasana/Mountain Pose – The mountain pose is a standing posture typical in many yoga practices. Although it looks simple, practicing it mindfully presents a new challenge. With a mountain pose, start by standing up straight with your arms by your sides and your feet flat. The palms can also be by your side or open and facing you. The feet can be together or hip-width apart. Distribute your weight evenly between both feet. Elongate the spine, relax your shoulders, lift the chest slightly, open the heart, and don’t let your ribs jut out. Keep your chin parallel to the floor and your ears over your shoulders.
• Supta Baddha Konasana/Reclining Bound Angle Pose – The reclining bound angle pose is a restorative yoga posture that can help you turn your awareness inward. However, this pose may present a challenge as your mind may wander due to physical discomfort in the inner thigh/groin region. Enter the posture from a lying down position, similar to a corpse pose. While lying on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open. Let your inner thighs/groin sink into the mat. Rest your arms by your side, roughly 45 degrees from your torso, with your palms facing up. Relax your body and breathe, allowing your knees to drop closer to the floor as you move deeper into the pose. The reclining bound angle pose is ideal to end your mindful yoga practice.
• Anjaneyasana/Low Lunge Pose – The low lunge is a stretching pose that requires balance, concentration, and core work. It can be more challenging than the first three poses listed above and can make it hard to remain focused on breathing. Still, this makes the low lunge pose a good posture for mindful yoga. Enter this pose by way of a downward-facing dog. Step your left foot forward and place it beside your left hand. Bend your knee so the left one is above your left ankle. Lower your right knee to the ground behind your hips. Once lowered, raise your torso and lift your arms over your head, palms facing one another. Allow your hips to settle forward and down until you feel a stretch in your psoas and left leg. Tuck your tailbone to lengthen your lower back. Draw your thumbs back to open your heart and shift your gaze upwards while engaging in a mild backbend. Repeat on the other side.
• Vrikshasana/Tree Pose – The tree pose is all about balance, which can help you focus. In a balanced pose like this, it’s easy for your mind to wander. In addition, if you lose balance and fall, you might be more inclined to pass judgment on yourself, but this makes the tree pose perfect for a mindful yoga practice. Start by standing tall with your arms relaxed by your sides (a mountain pose can be a good segue into a tree pose). Shift your weight to your left foot. Inhale and lift your right knee, rotating it externally. Use your right hand to guide the sole of your right foot onto your left leg. You may place the foot on the calf or upper thigh, avoiding the knee area. Bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position. Throughout the pose, your right foot should press firmly into your left calf or thigh, while your left leg should press into your foot with equal pressure. Repeat on the other side.

Anyone can practice mindfulness, as this is for everyone. After all, it is a human ability, although it only becomes readily available when you practice it regularly.

Mindfulness can be practiced by people of all ages and backgrounds, no matter where they live, and can benefit all. It may be especially worthwhile for people suffering from certain conditions that the practice has proven helpful for. For example, scientific research has been conducted on the effects of mindfulness on conditions like insomnia, chronic pain, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety, and coronary defects. The results overwhelmingly revealed that mindfulness is effective in treating these disorders.

Regularly practicing mindfulness can also improve sleep, alleviate pain, lessen the severity of anxiety, lower blood pressure, and more. Additionally, mindfulness offers several benefits that apply to everyone, like an increased attention span, improved self-awareness, and better compassion, kindness, and empathy.

Mindfulness can be practiced anytime and anywhere, and that’s the wonderful thing about this practice. Initially, you may want to practice mindfulness for beginners (whether you’re practicing it through meditation, body scanning, mindful yoga, or another technique) in a quiet, dark room in your home. Alternatively, you may prefer a mindfulness practice using specific equipment, like a yoga mat, scented candles, or a special cushion.

However, that perfect room or your favorite candle isn’t required to practice mindfulness, although they might help, especially for beginners. Instead, with time, you can practice mindfulness anywhere — standing at the bus stop, driving home in traffic, flying on an airplane, brushing your teeth, folding laundry, or even waiting in line at the grocery store.

Similarly, the time of day is irrelevant when it comes to mindfulness. You can choose a time that works for you, which can be the same every day or changed occasionally. The key to remember is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to practice mindfulness. Simply find what works for you.

Studies have shown that regularly practicing mindfulness can lessen the severity of anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety. Since mindfulness is the practice of bringing awareness to the present moment, being mindful can help you avoid ruminating on past regrets or fears about the future.

Self-talk is a critical component of mindfulness practice. It helps participants to challenge negative thoughts and cultivate a more compassionate narrative.