A good operational definition of mindfulness, as currently understood by many in the modern West, is given by the founder of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program prof. Jon Kabat-Zinn: ‘Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.’ (Source: mindful.org)
Another is provided by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre in the UK: ‘Mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience, without judgement’. (Source: http://oxfordmindfulness.org)
Below, we will also give a link to a more thorough discussion on how mindfulness is understood, but it is important to understand how this quality, trait, activity or attitude links to improvements in private and work life of people. By paying conscious attention to what actually happens in our body and mind in reaction to internal and external stimuli, we change the way we react and relate to stimuli in general. These changes will eventually reflect in how our brain will operate in the future. With practice, single experiences of choice can evolve into a way of living.
Much quoted American psychologist Rollo May has summarized the significance of this succinctly:
‘Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight.’
Shortly said, learning to direct one’s attention in this way can lead to decreased stress, increased satisfaction with one’s chosen activities and life in general.
A more detailed account of the different ways to understand mindfulness can be found on Wikipedia where mindfulness is explained also in relation to stress, worry and rumination, and cognitive training within the framework of Buddhist psychologies.