We hear so much about it – but what is it exactly?
Mindfulness teaches us to surf on the waves of life and to take care of ourselves. Mr. Kabat-Zinn, who teaches mindfulness meditation in the United States defines mindfulness as follows:
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
Kabat-Zinn, 2003
Mindfulness is a life skill, which can deepen our sense of well-being and fulfilment. It involves a conscious direction of our awareness and is a way of paying attention, in the present moment, to ourselves, to others and the world.
Left to itself, our mind wanders. Mostly, these thoughts are about the past or future and not about the one moment we actually can experience — the present moment.
Mindfulness therefore teaches us to pay attention to what is occurring in our present moment experience, with an attitude of openness and non-judgmental acceptance. It engages all of our senses as we open to our entire experience, becoming aware of our body, emotions, thoughts and the external environment.
As research shows, mindfulness training increases our capacity to pay attention and to concentrate, raises our emotional intelligence and increases our resilience and our capacity to improve relationships.
Why learn Mindfulness the workplace?
People who have been trained to work with their minds and emotions consciously will indeed be more balanced and resilient as well as more inclined to work in a productive and creative way.
In the field of education?
In the field of education, there is promising evidence that mindfulness training has been shown to enhance executive control in children and adolescents in line with adult evidence.
As teachers, you will demonstrate behaviours and attitudes that will be mirrored by the children or adolescents that you are interacting with on a daily basis
For children and adolescents?
Mindfulness provides a tool to stabilise their attention, have access to self-regulation techniques and attune to self and others (empathy). They learn how to cope with excessive stimulation as well as the many demands, interruptions and pressures of our modern lifestyle.
It can also go much further and help all of us living our lives in a full and more conscious way!
