Introduction to Mindfulness - Dean Amory

Positive elements in your life are experienced with greater
appreciation; and in the stillness that develops through mindfulness
practice, creative solutions can emerge to guide you in responding to
challenging dilemmas. (DEORA)
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly
whatever is happening in our lives. It will not eliminate life's
pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that
benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognize and step
away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological
reactions to everyday events. It provides us with a scientifically
researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding.
Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and
work, and improve our quality of life.
An important aspect of mindfulness is “remembering.” This does not
refer to memory of past events. Rather, it means remembering to be
aware and pay attention, highlighting the importance of intention in
mindfulness practice. Each moment we remind ourselves:
“Remember—be aware!”
But “mindfulness” means more than being passively aware, or being
aware for awareness’ sake. The Buddhist scholar, John Dunne (2007)
has pointed out that awareness, attention, and remembering (sati) are
present when a sniper, with malice in his heart, takes aim at an
innocent victim. Obviously this is not what we’re trying to cultivate as
psychotherapists, nor is it the goal of Buddhist psychology. Rather,
the purpose of mindfulness in its ancient context is to eliminate
needless suffering by cultivating insight into the workings of the mind
and the nature of the material world. The mindfulness practitioner is
actively working with states of mind in order to abide peacefully in
the midst of whatever happens.
‘Mindfulness’ is a hot topic in Western psychology: increasingly
recognized as an effective way to reduce stress, increase self-
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