According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm. Mindfulness is very much aligned with positive psychology, with its focus on positive emotions, such as compassion and gratitude.

Mindfulness is interrelated with meditation. John Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. Meditation, however is a practice where individuals use a technique to focus the mind on something to train awareness and attention and achieve a calm state.

The concept of the ‘mind’ emerged in the 12th century, with meanings related to care, intention, thought and memory. Later, in the 14th century, ‘mindful’ emerged, related to being conscious and aware. In the 16th century, ‘mindfulness’ or the state or quality of being mindful emerged, when John Palsgrave translated the French term pensee.

There are a wide number of mindfulness exercises which individuals can benefit from mindfulness. This can include mindful meditation, sitting quietly focussing on our breathing. undertaking a body scan, lying or sitting and moving attention slowly through different parts of our bodies, and mindful walking, noticing the breeze on our skin and the feeling in our feet on the different surfaces. Get in touch if you would like a mindfulness in Edinburgh session.