Nearly twenty years ago, I did a workshop with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., whose first
book “Full Catastrophe Living” and overall teachings have had a lasting influence
on me.
This book is a classic on the topic of mindfulness and it has played a spiritual
role in both bringing this practice into the Integrative Medicine World as well as in
developing the method we teach our patients on how to deal with stress.
I would like to share with you the Seven Essentials of Mindfulness Practice, adapted
from this great book.
Non-judging
Be an impartial witness to your experience. Try observing without judging –
it helps you to see what is on your mind without editing or intellectualizing it, or getting lost
in your thoughts
Non-striving
No goal other than to be yourself. Radical self-acceptance is not about achieving bliss or anything else.
Acceptance
A willingness to see things the way they are. By fully accepting
what each moment offers, you are able to experience life much more completely.
Letting Go
Of thoughts, ideas, things, events, desires, views, hopes and
experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant. Allowing things to be as they are,
without getting caught up in our attachment to or rejection of them. It means to give
up resisting or struggling and allowing things to be as they are. Watching your breath
as it goes in and out is an excellent starting place for this practice of letting go.
Beginner’s Mind
Free of expectations from past experience. Remove the attachment of the past and just
be. Watch the moments unfold, with no agenda other than to be fully present. Use the
breathe as an anchor to tether your attention to the present moment.
Patience
Remembering that things must unfold in their own time. An alternative to the mind’s
restlessness and impatience. Not letting our anxieties and desire for certain results
dominate the quality of the moment.
Trust
In yourself and your feelings. A feeling of confidence that things can unfold
within a dependable framework that embodies order and integrity.