Mindfulness

The concept of mindfulness 

Mindfulness has evolved from the ancient Buddhist practice of Meditation. it is a mental state of 
focusing ones awareness on the present moment acknowledging and accepting ones own feelings, emotions 
and thoughts without being judgmental about it. it is not merely a technique but a way of life.It is a 
art of being. Thich Nhat Hanh or Thay the Vietnamese Monk and Jon Kabat Zinn made Mindfulness extremely 
popular all over the world.

Mindfulness has become one of the most researched areas in the mental health world as well as by people 
in the health field who research on the mind body connection. Jon Kabat Zinn is the founder of 
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Technique (MBSR). His technique has been widely applied by hospitals 
and clinicians all over the world for conditions like Chronic Pain, Heart Disease, Anxiety and 
Depression, Psoriosis, Sleep Disorders etc. Mindfulness has now become a most popular form of 
Psychotherapy.
Mindfulness meditation is associated with changes in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Insula, Temporo 
parietal junction, Fronto Limbic Network and Default Mode Network structures. Just 21 days of Mindful 
Meditation has proven to change the Brains Grey Matter Volume. it is proven to decrease activities in 
the default mode network the area which is responsible for Worrying, Ruminating and being less happy. 
there is also a decrease in brain cell volume in the Amygdala which is responsible for emotions like 
fear, anxiety and stress. in other words it increases the positive emotional area of the brain and 
decreases the negative emotional area of the brain.This has been proven with MRIs before and after 
meditation. mindfulness also has been proven to improve concentration and focus.

Initially Mindfulness was associated with Buddhism and Hinduism so it was seen as a religious practice 
so people of other religions had apprehensions in practicing it but Jon Kabat Zinn made it more 
scientific and practical thus now it is widely accepted as a form of living and Therapy rather than a 
religious practice.

The five easy ways of practicing Mindfulness is

Meditation
Walking Meditation
Mindful eating
Living in the moment
Accepting things around you as they are

The 10 benefits of mindfulness backed by science

Mindfulness eases aches and pains
Mindfulness makes us smarter and improves decision making skills thus making us better leaders
Mindfulness lowers blood pressure
Mindfulness improves our empathy and compassion levels
Mindfulness boosts concentration and focus thus increasing our productivity
Mindfulness enhances resilience
Mindfulness reduces the feeling of loneliness and boosts feelings of well-being and contentment
Mindfulness increases creativity
Mindfulness makes us less judgmental
Mindfulness reduces Stress Anxiety and Depression

Neeta V Shetty Psychotherapist and Life Coach
Practices Mindfulness Based Psychotherapy and conducts Workshops on Mindfulness at BLISSFUL MIND 
THERAPY CENTRE Wadala Mumbai. To know more about it visit www.blissfulmindtherapycentre.com