What is mindfulness? A gentle introduction
Mindfulness is simpler than it sounds, and harder than it looks. A calm, plain-English guide to what it is, what it isn't, and why it helps.
Most of us spend a surprising amount of the day somewhere other than where we are. We eat lunch while answering emails, drive home while replaying a conversation, lie awake rehearsing tomorrow. Mindfulness is the practice of coming back.
A simple definition
Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening right now, on purpose, with an attitude of curiosity and kindness rather than judgement. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who brought mindfulness into Western medicine in the late 1970s, described it in much the same way, and it remains the clearest description we have.
That's it. There is no special state to reach, no need to empty your mind, and nothing to believe. You simply notice: the feeling of your feet on the floor, the sound of rain, the tightness in your shoulders, the thought that just arrived. And when you realise your attention has wandered, which it will, many times a minute, you gently bring it back.
The moment you notice your mind has wandered is not a failure. It is the practice.
What mindfulness isn't
A few common misunderstandings get in the way, so it's worth clearing them up.
- It isn't about stopping thoughts. Minds think, just as hearts beat. Mindfulness changes your relationship with thoughts, so you can see them as passing events rather than facts you must obey.
- It isn't relaxation. You may feel calmer, but the aim is awareness, not a particular feeling. Some practice is restful; some is quite uncomfortable, and that's useful too.
- It isn't positive thinking. Mindfulness doesn't ask you to pretend things are fine. It invites you to see things as they are, which is often the first step to responding wisely.
- It isn't only sitting on a cushion. Formal meditation helps, but you can be mindful while washing up, walking to the bus or listening to a friend.
Doing mode and being mode
One of the most helpful ideas in mindfulness is the difference between two ways our minds work.
Doing mode is the problem-solving mind. It compares where we are with where we want to be, and works to close the gap. It's brilliant for planning a trip or fixing a leaking tap. But when we turn it on our feelings ("Why am I so anxious? I shouldn't feel like this. What's wrong with me?"), it can spin endlessly, making things worse.
Being mode is direct experience: sensing, noticing, allowing. Not fixing, just being with what's here. Mindfulness practice strengthens our ability to shift into being mode when doing mode stops helping. Many people find that this alone loosens the grip of stress and rumination.
Why it helps
Mindfulness has been studied extensively over the past few decades. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, combines mindfulness practice with ideas from cognitive therapy. In the UK, NICE recommends group MBCT to help prevent relapse for people who have experienced recurrent depression and are currently well.
Beyond clinical settings, people who practise regularly often describe:
- noticing stress earlier, before it builds into overwhelm
- getting less caught up in worry and replaying the past
- sleeping a little more easily
- responding to difficult moments with more choice, and less autopilot
- treating themselves with more kindness
Results vary from person to person, and mindfulness is not a replacement for medical or psychological care. If you're unsure whether it's right for you just now, our page on whether mindfulness is right for you is a good place to start.
Try it now: one minute
You don't need to wait for a course to begin. Try this now, wherever you are.
- Let your eyes rest, or close them if that feels comfortable.
- Notice the points where your body touches the chair or the floor.
- Feel three breaths, all the way in and all the way out. Don't change them; just feel them.
- When your mind wanders, notice where it went, and kindly return to the breath.
- Before you open your eyes, notice how you feel, without needing it to be any particular way.
That was mindfulness. If you'd like a slightly longer practice you can use any time, try the three-minute breathing space.
Learning with others
Many people start with an app or a book and find it hard to keep going. Practising with a teacher and a small group, week by week, gives you structure, encouragement and the chance to hear how others are finding it. That's what the eight-week Finding Peace in a Frantic World course is for.
