Mindfulness in 2 minutes — It really is this simple
The Art Of Simply Noticing
Mindfulness is often defined as “the awareness that arises by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” — Jon Kabat Zin
This is a mouthful, and daunting for people new to the practice. Mindfulness is better described as the state of simply ‘noticing things’.
Yes, just noticing things. It really is that simple. If you are noticing things, you are mindful of them. If you are not noticing things, you are not mindful of them.
So what are you supposed to notice?
Anything really: The wind, background music, your thoughts, your feelings, the space between your eyebrows, or any bodily sensation for that matter. You can even walk, talk, eat, drink and listen mindfully. The breath is one of the most popular anchors. I once heard someone say: “Life starts with a breath and ends with a breath; it must be important.”
Is it really that simple?
This is the heart of mindfulness, but once you choose something to notice, you are then required to focus on it.
Consider an example of a 10-minute breath exercise. First, you choose something to notice, in this case, your breath. It’s best to be specific, so we’ll focus on the…
