Understanding the Definition of Mindfulness: Part 1

For those who are trying to get into mindfulness, I think a good way to start is by finding a good definition of mindfulness and understanding it. I want to help with that, and this is probably something I should do sooner rather than later. I can write all day about the benefits of "mindfulness," but without clearly explaining what I mean when I use that word, readers who are new to mindfulness may end up frustrated. 

In his book Wherever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabat-Zinn says that "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally." I think this is a great definition. In order to understand this definition, we have to understand the following three things. 

1. What it means to pay attention on purpose

2. What it means to pay attention in the present moment

3. What it means to pay attention nonjudgementally. 

In this post, I'll focus on explaining what it means to pay attention on purpose. 

To pay attention on purpose means to choose what to pay attention to. Sometimes, people pay attention to things but not on purpose. I have a friend who has dogs. He often leaves the television on because the dogs like watching television. However, sometimes when the television is on, he find himself watching whatever is on television too. Whenever this happens, he isn't choosing to pay attention to what's on television. What's on television just captures his attention. Similarly, you might find your attention captured by an advertisement, a negative possibility about the future (which may lead to anxiety), a memory about a past wrongdoing (which may lead to regret), or your mental chatter in general.

Choose what to pay attention to. Oftentimes, mindfulness instructors recommend choosing to pay attention to your breathing. Your breathing is a great thing to pay attention to, but it's not the only thing you can choose to pay attention to. Sometimes as I'm walking through one of the handful of parks around my city, I might choose to pay attention to the verdant trees around me, the beautiful blue sky above me, or the sensation of my feet lightly meeting the ground as I walk. If I'm eating, I might choose to pay attention to the taste of the food or perhaps its texture if I find that particularly interesting. If I'm in an important meeting, I might choose to pay attention to whatever the current person speaking is saying. If I'm in class, I might choose to pay attention to whatever the teacher is saying. If I'm practicing the first mental exercise of Step 1, then I should choose to pay attention to the train of thoughts passing through my mind.

You can pay attention to two things at once. For example, let's say I'm jogging. In this case, I should pay attention to both my jogging and the environment around me. I should pay attention to my jogging so I can be sure I'm maintaining correct jogging posture, and I should pay attention to the environment around me so I don't run into anything. These days, I spend a good deal of time in class. This is because I often take things like improv classes or stand-up comedy classes for fun. I do this because I'm trying to be more social/extroverted, and also because I really do find them fun. Whenever I'm in class, I'm usually paying attention to both my breathing and what the teacher is saying. Even when I'm paying attention to two or more things at once, I'm deliberately choosing to pay attention to those things, so I'm still paying attention on purpose. It doesn't matter whether you're paying attention to one thing or to several things. As long as you're choosing to pay attention to that one thing or that set of multiple things, you're paying attention on purpose.