Originally posted on essential

If you want to understand your mind, simply sit down and observe it.
– Anagarika Munindra

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a skill, an attribute, a fleeting-to-permanent state-of-attention characterized by focused awareness of the phenomena occurring in your mind and body. It is the awareness of thoughts as they arrive and depart, awareness of emotions as they swell and diminish, awareness of physical sensations, sounds, smells, and visuals as they appear in consciousness.

Why Mindfulness?

Mindfulness helps you to learn the inner workings of your own mind, and a growing body of research shows that a lot of good things happen as you build this attribute:

  • Increased focus
  • Improved ability to deal with your own and others’ emotions
  • Greater compassion
  • Decreased anxiety and better stress management
  • Reduction in pain and depression
  • Changes in grey matter density in the brain (specifically in areas related to learning, memory, self-awareness, and emotional regulation)

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a practice that cultivates mindfulness by developing the skill of focused awareness. When we meditate, we choose an object of focus, commonly the breath, and repeatedly return our focus to that object whenever it wanders. Over time and with consistent practice, mindfulness grows.

Additional Resources

essential Posts
How to Meditate, A Guide for Beginners

Guided Meditations
By Sam Harris

Books
10% Happier, by Dan Harris
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Waking Up, by Sam Harris (no relation to Dan)

Apps
Headspace
Calm

ssntl

strong mind . strong body

)
Warren Ashley

Written by

ssntl

ssntl

strong mind . strong body

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade