Mindfulness
Mindfulness has become a buzzword in recent years. With its growing popularity, many different definitions have emerged. One of them is simply “being here and now.” That captures part of what mindfulness is — but far from all of it.
Mindfulness is a translation of the word sati in Pali, an ancient Indian language spoken in the time of the Buddha. The word mindfulness carries not just one meaning, but several. Perhaps the most important is clear knowing — the ability to observe what is happening without identifying with the experience, without creating stories about why it’s happening, without reacting, and without being distracted. Mindfulness is the ability to meet whatever arises in the mind, without resisting the unpleasant or clinging to the pleasant.
What is mindfulness?
In his book Mindfulness, American meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein describes four qualities present in mindfulness. Together, they can give us a deeper understanding of the word’s rich meaning.
- The ability to be aware. This is the quality that helps us bring our attention back to the present moment each time we become distracted.
- Presence. This manifests as the ability to meet whatever we experience without turning our attention away or engaging half-heartedly.
- Remembering. Rather than talking about right or wrong, good or bad, Buddhists use the concepts of skilful and unskilful. What is skilful leads to happiness, peace, love, and harmony. What is unskilful leads to stress, worry, and fear. Mindfulness is the ability to remember what makes us — and everyone else — happy, as well as what prevents us from happiness.
- Clear knowing. This reflects as clearly as a mirror. It neither changes, judges, nor evaluates the experience. It adds no stories about what we’re experiencing. Mindfulness is simply the bare, naked awareness of what is, exactly as it is. Sometimes we search for something particular and miss what is right in front of us, here and now. Being mindfully present isn’t difficult — but it takes practice to remember to be.
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The history of mindfulness
Mindfulness, or conscious presence, is at the heart of Buddhist meditation and has been taught since the time of the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago. The meditation technique commonly used today — even in secular contexts — is called Vipassana, meaning “insight.” It is rooted in the oldest Buddhist texts (the Pali Canon), particularly a text called the Satipatthana Sutta.
The global rise of mindfulness
American meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield played significant roles in establishing mindfulness and meditation in the West. On February 14, 1976, they founded the retreat centre Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts. All three had spent several years practising under various meditation masters in Asia. When they returned to the US and opened IMS, they deliberately adapted mindfulness practices to work better in a Western context — including allowing participants to sit on chairs rather than cross-legged in lotus position, as was common in the East.
MBSR — Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Many of today’s most prominent voices in meditation and mindfulness have practised under these three teachers. It was during a retreat at IMS that Jon Kabat-Zinn had the idea to develop Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). In 1979, he founded a clinic at the University of Massachusetts to treat patients with chronic conditions where medication had not helped. Today, the eight-week programme he developed is so well known that there is sometimes a misconception that he founded mindfulness itself. Jon Kabat-Zinn is, however, a key contributor to the worldwide establishment of mindfulness, and MBSR is one of the largest organised forms of secular mindfulness.
The science of mindfulness
Another important organisation in the establishment of mindfulness is the Mind & Life Institute, which came into being in 1987 following a meeting between the Dalai Lama, Francisco Varela — a neuroscientist and philosopher from Chile — and Adam Engle, an American lawyer and entrepreneur. The purpose was to bring together science and contemplative wisdom to better understand the human mind and contribute to positive change in the world. At one of the Institute’s gatherings, the Dalai Lama and several researchers discussed destructive emotional reactions. He asked why they couldn’t research constructive emotional states — such as loving-kindness and compassion — instead of destructive ones like depression and anxiety. There was so much research on our various diagnoses; why not use the same methods to explore our strengths? That was the starting point for what would become a rapidly growing field of study: the science of meditation and mindfulness.
The difference between mindfulness and meditation
Mindfulness is not the same as meditation — it is the state of mind we cultivate through meditation. An analogy with physical training: if meditation is the run, mindfulness is the fitness we build. In this sense, mindfulness is our mental fitness.
Learn mindfulness
Mindfulness is presence and awareness, without evaluating, categorising, judging, or creating a story about what we experience. This means we don’t add any thoughts to the experience — we meet everything with clear knowing, neither trying to hold on to the experience nor avoid it. We allow everything to be exactly as it already is.
Take a couple of minutes to try this mindfulness meditation.
- Take a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
- Then feel the parts of your body that are in contact with the surface beneath you. Feel your weight and let your attention land here for a moment.
- If you like, close your eyes — but it’s not required. Do whatever feels natural to you.
- Then turn your attention inward and notice what is happening inside you right now. Allow everything to be exactly as it already is. Be aware of everything you experience without evaluating it as right or wrong, better or worse — without commenting or criticising. Be a curious witness.
- When you notice you’ve been distracted by a thought, simply begin again without effort or tension. It’s not a failure — it’s part of the practice. Be kind to yourself each time it happens.
- Then bring your attention back to the parts of your body in contact with the surface, and open your eyes if you had them closed.
You’ve just practised mindfulness. It’s not particularly difficult, though it may feel unfamiliar. It doesn’t have to take long, and you don’t need to sit in any particular way. You can practise anywhere, at any time. You just need to remember to be aware.
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Mindfulness in everyday life
At first, it can feel as though there’s a clear distinction between the time spent sitting in meditation and the rest of the day — especially when meditation becomes a break from our hectic lives, where our thoughts lead and our bodies follow. But the goal is to dissolve that imaginary boundary. Mindfulness is not just a state of mind we reach during meditation — the point is to bring the skill into all of life. An effective way to cultivate mindfulness is to remind yourself throughout the day. It might be while waiting for the bus, loading the dishwasher, talking with a friend, drinking your first cup of coffee — or really anything at all. Give your full attention to what you’re doing, and redirect it when you notice you’ve become distracted.
Insights from mindfulness
With the help of mindfulness, we can begin to explore the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. If you think back to something difficult that happened in your life, you’ll feel the emotion again as it manifests in the body. If we have a sad or anxious thought, we can feel sad or anxious even though nothing has actually happened right now. The interplay between thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations largely shapes how we perceive the world — and this usually happens unconsciously. Mindfulness helps us become more aware of this interplay. We can learn to see which emotions come from what’s actually happening in reality, and which come from what we’re thinking. This is one of the most important skills we can develop for living a happier life.
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
– Viktor Frankl
We can also begin to find a small space between what we experience and how we react — giving us the chance to ask ourselves how we might respond to the situation rather than reacting impulsively. The magical moment in meditation is when we realise we’ve been distracted. That’s when we have the choice of how to act — toward ourselves and toward the world. This was demonstrated by a ten-year-old boy who had learned meditation at school and was asked: what is mindfulness? He replied: “It’s not hitting someone else in the face.”
Effects of mindfulness
The conventional belief that the brain stops changing when we reach adulthood is not accurate. Neuroscience research shows the brain is constantly changing in response to our experiences. Neuroplasticity — the brain being shaped by repeated experiences — continues from morning to night, an influence we are normally unaware of. In this way, the brain resembles a muscle that grows stronger with training. It also changes when we don’t train it.
The number of studies on meditation and mindfulness has grown enormously — in 2020 alone, 1,153 international studies were published. Mindfulness has several positive effects at an early stage, even for beginners. A widely reported experience among meditators is that mindfulness meditation reduces stress. This has also been observed neurologically, with the brain showing reduced stress reactivity in the amygdala, an area closely linked to stress. After just two weeks of practice, attention improves — including stronger focus, a reduced tendency for the mind to wander, and better working memory.
For those who have meditated for a thousand hours or more, studies have shown that the positive effects become increasingly stable, and new ones emerge. There are indicators both in the brain and hormonally that point to reduced stress activity and reduced inflammation in the body. Increased activity in prefrontal areas has also been observed, indicating a greater ability to handle emotional challenges — meaning one is less easily pulled into difficult emotions and doesn’t stay there as long. Studies have also shown reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol through meditation, a signal of generally reduced reactivity to stressors. The longer we meditate, the more likely it seems that these temporary states will become lasting traits.
Frequently asked questions about mindfulness
I feel restless when I practise — what should I do?
There are times when we need to release some energy before meditating. Some people do yoga, others run, some dance. But don’t let restlessness stop you from meditating — explore it with mindfulness instead. First, accept that you feel restless, without resisting it or judging yourself. Then observe the restlessness with curiosity: where does it sit in the body? How does it move? Are there any thoughts connected to it?
You can also rate how restless you feel on a scale of 1–10. This can help you gain a little distance from the restlessness. You might also take a few deep breaths in through the nose, and notice how the body relaxes as you exhale through the nose. But if you notice you’re judging yourself for what you’re experiencing, or evaluating it as right or wrong, remember — it’s not about what you experience, but how you relate to it. Observe your experience with mindfulness: with an allowing, kind, and curious attitude.
What should I do when I feel strong, intense emotions such as fear, grief, or anxiety?
Mindfulness is in many ways a counterintuitive approach. Instead of distracting ourselves to avoid feeling what we feel, we open up to all emotions. We allow everything to be exactly as it is. This is easier said than done — but we can train our ability to be present with a feeling, to sit with it being okay, no matter how difficult it feels.
When an intense emotion arises, first notice what emotion it is — you can make a mental note. This helps you not drown in it. Then allow the emotion to be present. This doesn’t mean you have to like the feeling, but that you’re not against what already is. Then explore the emotion with curiosity and mindfulness. All emotions manifest in the body, so first notice where it sits. At the same time, be aware of any thoughts connected to the emotion. If your attention wanders into thoughts, notice that, let go of them, and return your attention to the body. While doing so, remind yourself that the emotion is something you have — it is not who you are. The very fact that you are aware of the emotion proves this. You are more than the feeling.
Remember to be kind to yourself as you open up to all emotions. You might place a hand over your heart or say a few kind words to yourself. If it becomes too intense, remember that you can always pause and instead turn your attention to something calming — for some that might be the breath, for others their hands or feet, or perhaps sounds around them. Pausing is an act of self-compassion, so don’t push yourself too hard.
Mindfulness can help us see that whatever we feel is like weather — a temporary visitor. An intense emotion can be compared to a storm sweeping through our awareness. When it’s at its hardest, it’s often because we think the storm will never pass. If that happens, remind yourself that it’s just a thought. All emotions are fleeting — they come and they go. This isn’t easy, so be kind to yourself. But the more we practise mindfulness, the more we can truly be present with all our emotions. We all want to feel good — but mindfulness is more about becoming good at feeling. Meditation is not about walking around in a state of blissful happiness. Real peace and freedom lie in being able to feel what we actually feel, and allowing ourselves to experience the full range of human emotion.
What should I do when I have lots of thoughts?
Realising that you think constantly is perhaps the first and greatest insight you can have when you meditate. Unfortunately, many people believe that every thought equals a failed mindfulness meditation. But it’s the opposite. The practice is about becoming more aware that you’re thinking — without identifying with the thought. Every time you notice a thought as a thought, you’re doing it right. But often we get distracted, forget to focus on the breath or body, and start planning or analysing instead. Or we drift into a state of unawareness — daydreaming, no longer present. English has an apt expression for this: lost in thought.
Being distracted is not a mistake we make when meditating. It’s the brain’s default mode — it creates thoughts centred on ourselves, takes us on time travels to the future or past, and searches for problems. The moment you realise you’ve been distracted, you are once again aware and present. Instead of getting frustrated at “losing” your presence, mindfulness practises meeting each moment with an open and kind attitude. That’s why kindness, acceptance, and curiosity are three key attitudes in mindfulness. Notice with curiosity what has happened, accept that you have thoughts, and gently — without effort or tension — return your attention to the present. That is meditation.
Another useful tool is mental noting. When a thought appears in your awareness, label it mentally: “thinking.” You can also experiment with labelling what type of thought it is: “future, past, judgement, evaluation.” This helps you observe the thought with a little distance rather than being swept along by its content. Another effective mental note is “not now” — because even though the discipline of meditation involves consciously not following thoughts and not using the time to plan, analyse, or come up with clever ideas, those are exactly the thoughts that tend to arise. By noting “not now,” you remind yourself that this thought is important — just not right now. You have the rest of the day to deal with it.
Sometimes there’s a lot of mental activity and it feels impossible to focus. Make a mental note — “overthinking” — because that’s exactly what’s happening, without judging it as right or wrong. Then give your full attention to the body or breath. If thoughts start up again, simply repeat the process without reacting. Note “overthinking” and accept that that’s what’s happening. Whatever our thoughts say, we are not our thoughts — they are something we have. Mindfulness helps us stop believing everything we think.
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Can I practise mindfulness while doing other things?
Yes, of course. We don’t meditate to become better at meditating — we meditate to become better at living, which means being more present and aware. Mindfulness is meant to be applied to all of life.
- The first instruction is to have an intention to be fully present in what you’re doing — to experience the current moment rather than getting caught in thoughts. With that intention in place, you’ll need to apply it to the two instructions that follow.
- The second instruction is to allow everything to be exactly as it is. This is also the most difficult instruction. It doesn’t mean we can’t say no or set boundaries — it means having no inner resistance to what already is.
- The third instruction is to consciously not follow thoughts. Thoughts will of course continue to wander, but when we notice that, we gently return our attention to what we’re experiencing.
Mindfulness trains the ability to direct attention to what is most valuable in any given situation. And very rarely is that our automatic thoughts.
Mindfulness with Mindfully
With the Swedish mindfulness app Mindfully, you can learn to meditate and strengthen your mindfulness anytime, anywhere. Mindfully offers the largest collection of guided meditations in Swedish, created by Sweden’s leading experts. Mindfully is mindfulness for both mind and heart — for those who want to live a more present and healthy life. Welcome to your inner adventure.