Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment purposefully and non-judgmentally. It originated from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs and involves meditation practices aimed at improving focus, awareness of one's body and emotions, and the ability to cope with stress. Over 18,000 studies on mindfulness have explored applications for conditions like cancer, heart disease, mental illnesses, and more. Mindfulness is thought to work by improving emotional regulation and the ability to handle unpleasant feelings through increased awareness of thoughts, body sensations, and a changed perspective of the self.

1. What is “Mindfulness”?
Many “meditations” as there are many sports

2. Definition and History
 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Chronic Pain (Jon Kabat
Zinn, 1982)
 Active self-regulation skills that patients could practice by themselves to
help them cope with medical conditions—chronic pain foremost (10-8 Wk)
 Mindfulness= “to pay attention on purpose in the present moment
nonjudgmentally. “
 "Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on
purpose, in the present moment, with compassion, and open-hearted
curiosity."

3. What is it and to what has science tried
to apply it in studies?
 way of knowing and befriending one's own mind and
body and experience
 “coming to terms with things as they are.” (J. Kabat Zinn)
 cancer, heart disease, diabetes, brain injuries,
fibromyalgia, HIV/Aids, Parkinson’s, organ transplants,
psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome, and tinnitus.
 attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression,
anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality
disorders, substance abuse, and autism.

4. Range of Studies….approaching
20,000
 In a meta-analysis of meditation programs, psychological stress, and
well-being in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association, Internal Medicine, Madhav Goyal, a Johns
Hopkins assistant professor of medicine, and his colleagues
identified a staggering 18,753 citations
 “High Quality”: 47 randomized controlled trials with 3,515
participants
 Try, but sticking with it
 MBSR: 8 weeks
 “Plasticity” = Changes ion the brain with repetition of experience
and gaining of skills

5. How does it Work? And What’s the
Point?
 By helping people have more control over their minds, such as the
ability to ignore distractions;
 through increased awareness of one's own body;
 through improved control over one's own emotions and the ability
to cope with unpleasant emotions;
 through a changed perspective on the self.
 ( How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action
From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological
ScienceNovember 2011 6: 537-559)
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6. improved control over one's own emotions and
the ability to cope with unpleasant emotions
 Testosterone and Cortisols
 Hormones and ethics: Understanding the biological basis of unethical
conduct Jooa Julia Lee, Francesca Gino, Ellie Shuo Jin, Leslie K Rice, Robert
A Josephs Journal of Experimental Psychology. General 2015, 144 (5): 891-7
 Stressors?
 Lack of sleep, academic demands, fear, lack of control, lack of choice,
boredom. Bullying, lack of time
 Chronic vs Acute

7. “MINDFULNESS”
 “to pay attention on purpose in the present moment
nonjudgmentally.
 Many of of mindfulness: ACTION, THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS,
SENSES
 3 Different but linked meditation practices that studies
have linked to specific results
 FOCUS and self awareness
 ATTENTION and CREATIVITY
 KINDNESS