The 9 attitudes of mindfulness
Cultivating the Soil of Your Practice
Welcome. In our practice of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), we often speak of “techniques”—like the body scan or walking meditation. But these seeds of practice can only grow if the soil is rich.
That soil is made of Attitude.
Below are the nine attitudes that help us return to “Pure Mind“—that spacious, quiet awareness that exists before thought and before judgment. When we hold these attitudes gently in our hearts, we create a sanctuary where healing can naturally unfold.
1. Non-Judging
Our minds are constant critics, labeling everything as “good” or “bad.” Pure Mind, however, is like a mirror—it reflects everything but judges nothing. When you notice a judgment arising, simply whisper, “Ah, that is a judgment,” and return to the neutrality of just seeing.
2. Patience
Patience is a form of wisdom. It is the understanding that the butterfly emerges only when it is ready, not when we want it to. Treat yourself with this same kindness. Allow your healing to unfold in its own time, without rushing the seasons of your heart.
3. Beginner’s Mind
We often let what we “know” prevent us from seeing what is. To practice Beginner’s Mind is to look at your breath, your pain, or a loved one as if you are seeing them for the very first time. In this fresh looking, there is no history, only the vibrancy of the now.
4. Trust
Learn to trust your own intuition and the wisdom of your body. You are the ultimate authority on your own experience. Even if you feel lost, trust that your awareness—your Pure Mind—is always there, holding you safe, just as the ocean holds the waves.
5. Non-Striving
In a world of “doing,” meditation is the radical act of “non-doing.” We are not trying to get somewhere or fix ourselves. We are simply inviting ourselves to be present. The irony is that by stopping the struggle to be different, we finally become free to be who we are.
6. Acceptance
Acceptance does not mean “giving up.” It means acknowledging the truth of this moment. If there is pain, we acknowledge the pain. If there is fear, we acknowledge the fear. By bowing to the reality of what is, we stop wasting energy on denial and start the process of healing.
7. Letting Go
We often trap ourselves by holding on tightly to thoughts, desires, or old stories. Letting go is the practice of unclamping the hand of the mind. It is a gentle release, an exhale that says, “I do not need to carry this anymore.”
8. Gratitude
Gratitude is the medicine that shifts our biology. When we pause to appreciate the simple fact of a breath, or the sun on our face, we shift from fear to connection. It gladdens the heart and opens us to the abundance of the present.
9. Generosity
Giving transforms the giver. Offer yourself the gift of time, the gift of forgiveness, or the gift of silence. When you fill your own cup with kindness, it naturally overflows to touch the lives of others.