CONTENTS

• What is mindfulness?
• How do I start practicing?
• Example exercises

You've probably encountered mindfulness many times, or simply—with mindfulness. Is this just another fad, or is mindfulness worth paying a little more attention to? Given the popularity of numerous mindfulness courses, publications, gadgets, and other creations, some may think this is just another marketing ploy lurking in the consumer's pocket. Nothing could be more wrong!

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be defined as a psychological process that helps focus attention on internal and external stimuli occurring at a given moment. What matters most is what's happening here and now. It derives from Buddhist practices but is not religious in nature. Mindfulness is an attitude of complete acceptance and openness to the thoughts and feelings that arise within me at any given moment. It allows you to listen to yourself and your inner needs without negative judgment, to take care of yourself, and to forget about the past and the future for a while. They are important in life, too, but we often live on the run and forget ourselves. You might think, "I can't relax, this is definitely not for me"—nothing could be further from the truth. Mindfulness can be learned, it can be practiced. After some time of mindfulness training, you may find that it doesn't work for you, but it's worth trying and—if you fail—keep searching.

How do I start practicing?

You don't need any special equipment. Initially, you may need a comfortable place to sit and some peace and quiet. Once you're familiar with the various techniques, you can practice anywhere: on the tram, during a break at work, in line at the post office, or in nature. You can set the time you'll devote to practice in advance, but it's entirely up to you. There are no strict rules.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBT) was created and popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The work of the American psychiatrist and scientist proved effective, confirmed by clinical studies that made the eight-week program popular around the world.

Example exercises

• Eating raisins

You've probably eaten raisins many times in your life... but have you ever eaten them mindfully? At some point in your free time, reach for the raisins, sit comfortably, and take one out of the packet. Look at it closely, feel the texture with your fingertips, smell it. Then chew it with great attention, bite by bite, observing how it behaves and what it tastes like. After you've practiced with raisins for a while, plan one meal a day to eat mindfully. No TV on, no surfing social media. Focus on yourself and your plate: its contents, its colors. Think about what the products you used to make a meal were like before they reached your home. How much human labor was involved in making it? Feel grateful for that meal.

• Diary of pleasant experiences

Keeping a journal like this (e.g., in spreadsheet form) helps you notice things we often forget while on the run. Write down the pleasant experience and the moods, feelings, and thoughts that accompanied it. Contrast these with the ones you feel as you record your experiences. It's also worth mentioning the physical reactions you experienced at the time of the experience. We don't usually analyze specific situations and accept life as it is. Recording such experiences helps us to be grateful for what happens to us.

• Body scan

This exercise allows you to practice various aspects of mindfulness, including consciously focusing your attention in a particular way, learning to return to the present moment, and becoming aware of your own likes and dislikes. To begin with, it's worth supporting yourself with a recording (recordings are plentiful online) to help you learn about the body scan and demonstrate what it involves. Once you get used to it, the recording is usually no longer necessary, but this is simply a matter of preference.