Mindfulness

The word mindfulness has recently gained my attention. Its original use describes a type of Buddhist meditation in which one focuses intentionally on each breath coming and going from the body. Mindfulness-of-breathing meditation cultivates one's ability to experience more fully, at any time, whatever is happening at the present moment.

Adaptations of mindfulness meditation have become useful in the fields of integrative medicine and mental health (for stress reduction, pain management and cognitive therapy), and it is being used as a model in other fields such as educational theory.

In light of the previous post, which was about prayer, the basic idea of mindfulness also intersects deeply with our interests in Alternative concerning an alternative approach to Christian spirituality.

Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical School says, "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. This kind of awareness nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality." As a spiritual formation and fellowship group, a major purpose of Alternative is to develop this kind of awareness in each other and in ourselves.

My hope is that together we can find ways of cultivating the habit of being mindful of our lives, our contingecy, our everyday experiences and the presence of others with us in the world.