What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is moment-by-moment awareness (and acceptance) of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment, without judgement.  Mindfulness focuses the mind on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on thinking of the past or of the future.



Why Practice Mindfulness? Practicing mindfulness can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Here are some of these benefits:

• Mindfulness is good for minds and bodies: Practicing mindfulness boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness. Mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. 
• Mindfulness improves brains: Research has found that it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
• Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us tune out distractions and improves our memory and attention skills.
  
• Mindfulness helps professionals cope with stress, connect with their patients, and improve their general quality of life. It also helps mental health professionals by reducing negative emotions and anxiety, and increasing their positive emotions and feelings of self-compassion.

• Mindfulness enhances relationships:  Mindfulness practice makes couples more satisfied with their relationship, makes each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and makes them feel more accepting of and closer to one another.
• Mindfulness fosters compassion and altruism: Mindfulness training makes us more likely to help someone in need and increases activity in neural networks involved in understanding the suffering of others and regulating emotions. Evidence suggests it might boost self-compassion as well.
• Mindfulness helps trauma victims: Studies suggest it can reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in clients individuals suffering from abuse or violence.
• Mindfulness helps anger management:  Evidence suggests mindfulness reduces anger, hostility, and mood disturbances by increasing awareness of their thoughts and emotions.
• Mindfulness fights obesity:  Practicing “mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight, and helps them savor the food they do eat.