#419 Overview of Mindfulness

     "Mindfulness meditation, emanating from Zen Buddhism, has emerged as a nonreligious, popular, & accessible practice in teaching universal human qualities of focus, attention, and awareness in clinical and nonclinical populations. The concept and practice of mindfulness has gained popularity in the medical profession over the past three decades and has resulted in improved health, well-being, & quality of life. Mindfulness is a learned discipline that is not limited to any particular setting and its power is in the practice and many applications. The purpose of a daily mindfulness-based meditation, which may include a sitting meditation or yoga, is to simply practice witnessing and acknowledging whatever arises in the present moment without judging it. One’s attention is directed to anything real and tangible, such as the breath or a thought, feeling or sound without any attempt to change it. In this fashion one liberates the mind from unconsciousness and allows himself, in that moment, to live with the full extent of possibilities and greater opportunities for learning, growth, and change.

     Many professions, including occupational therapy, support and accept the growing body of empirical research on the use of mindfulness primarily as a way to improve the health and well-being of clients. Mindfulness-based stress reduction is one of the most well-researched stress management programs. Kabat-Zinn, the pioneer in creating the program in 1979, has been instrumental in promoting the growth and acceptance of mindfulness to more than 5,000 medical patients and has demonstrated its efficacy. In 2007 alone, 70 scientific published articles supported the increasing interest in mindfulness."
        Gura ST. Mindfulness in occupational therapy education. Occup Ther Health Care 2010; 24(3): 266-73.

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