Dr Caroline Horwath believes many people are confused by the word "mindfulness" and notes it’s not just another term for self-awareness, even if it it does involve attention and awareness.
Dr Horwath, who has been teaching mindfulness-based wellness and stress-reduction programmes since 2006 and practising mindfulness in her own life since 1999, defines it as "deliberately paying attention to one’s present-moment experience, and paying attention in a particular way".
"There are two key aspects to mindfulness.
"The first is what is known as ‘present moment awareness’, which is paying attention moment-by-moment to our inner experience as well as our outer experience. This helps us to make conscious choices, to respond to situations in a way that reflects what really matters to us (i.e. our values), rather than getting caught in conditioned or impulsive behaviour, or acting in response to external pressures or expectations.
"The second aspect is the attitude one takes towards one’s experience of the present moment, an attitude of acceptance, non-judgement, openness and curiosity.
"This aspect is really important because when we practise this, we’re less likely to engage in avoidance behaviour (i.e. ways of avoiding or distracting from what is happening in the present moment)."
Acceptance, in this sense, doesn’t mean a person has to like or want their present-moment experience, but rather that they give up struggling to try to avoid or "push away" the experience, which is what we tend to do when faced with uncomfortable experiences, thoughts or feelings.
According to various studies, the regular daily practice of mindfulness has many benefits for physical and psychological wellbeing, including developing a deeper awareness and understanding of self and of what matters most to us.It’s important to note mindfulness is not a result to be achieved, it’s a practice.
"Paradoxically, the more people strive hard to achieve something, the less able they are to actually practise mindfulness, because mindfulness is not about striving. Instead, it is a way of being — that is, being fully present right here, right now — in an open and non-judging way," Dr Horwath says.
"People go to the gym to train muscles, but in mindfulness we practise focusing our attention in a sustained way on a particular target, like the breath or sensations in the body.
"In contrast, in daily life, research shows that about half the time, people’s attention is not on what they are doing in that moment. Instead, their minds are wandering off to things other than what they are doing."
ABOUT HER
• Dr Caroline Horwath undertook training in mindfulness-based stress reduction with Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn (a United States pioneer in integrating mindfulness approaches in healthcare).
Since 2006 she has had a private practice in Dunedin teaching mindfulness-based wellbeing and stress reduction courses for organisations and the public.
In her part-time academic position at the University of Otago (associate professor, department of human nutrition), her research has included exploration of mindfulness-based approaches to women’s health promotion and weight management.
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Comments
I understand that mindfulness (and meditation) are proven therapeutic techniques that accomplish that which Dr Horwath describes.
Hopefully, inner peace becomes outward peace, for Reality is engagement with other people, not introspection.