Mindfulness can be defined as a state of active, open attention on the present. Jon Kabat-Zinn is professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, and introduced the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course in 1979. (1)
Focusing on the present moment without judgement is the root of mindfulness. Learning to cope with stressors whether it be pain, emotions, attentional problems, immune function or drug addiction, one can learn to engage in new practices that will induce positive changes in our bodies reaction to a stimuli.
Studies show that the ways we intentionally shape our internal focus of attention in mindfulness practice induces a state of brain activation during the practice. With repetition, an intentionally created state can become an enduring trait of the individual as reflected in long-term changes in brain function and structure. This is a fundamental property of neuroplasticity—how the brain changes in response to experience. Here, the experience is the focus of attention in a particular manner. (2)
Mindfulness practices may include yoga, tai chi, qi gong or meditation. These practices are being utilized in a wide variety of settings and for diverse populations of individuals. Some interesting uses are to keep kids in school, workplace stress, prison inmates, and binge eating to name a few. View the links below for further details.
Yoga and school children: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/07/24/how-yoga-might-save-the-u-s-trillions-of-dollars-and-a-lot-of-lives/
21 Ways to reduce workplace stress: http://www.bemindful.org/mindmastery.pdf
Prison and yoga: https://www.nicabm.com/nicabmblog/how-prisoners-are-benefiting-from-yoga/
Mindful eating: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 (3)
Recommended books on Mindfulness:
*Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Prof. Brian Wansink
*Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Dr. Cheung and Thich Nhat Hanh
*The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn
*Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman (2)
*Little Flower Yoga For Kids: A Yoga and Mindfulness Program to Help Your Child Improve Attention and Emotional Balance by Jennifer Cohen Harper
References
1. http://www.mindful.org/author/jon-kabat-zinn
2. http://www.mindful.org/the-science/medicine/the-science-of-mindfulness
3. http://oxfordmindfulness.org/science/
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