人妻少妇专区

Skip to content
Mindful University Project
Office of the Provost

Mindfulness 101

Students meditating on the quad.According to expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is the awareness that comes from 鈥減aying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.鈥� The capacity for mindfulness is built during the practice of meditation. During meditation, we place our attention on an object of focus, such as our breath. When our mind begins to wander (as it often will), we notice it and then bring our attention back to our breath. It鈥檚 during this process of focus 鈥� wandering 鈥� noticing 鈥� refocus that you are building your mindfulness 鈥渕uscle.鈥�

With regular meditation practice, you will find that you become more aware and present (or more mindful) in many areas of your life. Evidence demonstrates that practicing mindfulness meditation can lead to many beneficial outcomes, such as reduced anxiety and stress, improved attention, a stronger immune system, less emotional reactivity, improved communication, and a general sense of well-being.

Five mindfulness myths

Myth #1: I can鈥檛 meditate because my mind is too active

Good news鈥veryone has a really active mind!聽 Our mind is built to think. Meditation is not a practice to cease all thoughts. Instead, it鈥檚 about knowing what鈥檚 on your mind and having a better relationship with what you find there. Picture your mind as a river. Sometimes it鈥檚 calm, and sometimes it鈥檚 raging. But it鈥檚 always moving. Your mind is always thinking thoughts, just like the river never actually stops flowing. When you meditate, it鈥檚 like sitting on the bank of the river, watching the water flow by.

Myth #2: Meditation is difficult

The techniques can be as simple as focusing on the breath or the sounds around you. One reason why meditation may seem difficult is that we often try too hard to concentrate, are overly attached to results, or are not sure we are doing it right. Learning meditation from a qualified teacher is the best way to ensure that the process is enjoyable and you get the most from your practice.

Myth #3: I don鈥檛 have enough time to meditate

It鈥檚 easy to become overwhelmed when thinking that you have to add one more thing to your day. However, if you make meditation a priority, you will do it. You can even schedule a block of time on your calendar like you would any other important meeting you wouldn鈥檛 skip. Keep in mind that even just a few minutes of meditation is better than none. Try not to talk yourself out of meditating because it鈥檚 a bit late or you feel too sleepy. It鈥檚 strange, but many people report that when they spend time meditating regularly, they actually feel like they have more time in their day and can accomplish more while doing less. (Source: Chopra.com)

Myth #4: Mindfulness and meditation will make me less competitive or lose my drive for success

Actually, mindfulness is proven to make you more resilient, focused, centered, and motivated. With the practice of mindfulness, you may also find that things that often hinder your success, such as repetitive thought patterns and difficult emotions, will not make you stumble as much, leaving more space for you to pursue your goals.

Myth #5: Mindfulness is a religious practice

While the roots of mindfulness come from Buddhism, and you鈥檒l find meditative practices built within many of the world鈥檚 religions, the practice of mindfulness is secular. We invite all members of our community to practice mindfulness meditation, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Resources

We鈥檝e gathered our most favorite mindfulness meditation resources here for you. Using a meditation app is a great way to get started with your practice. All have free content to access, as well as affordable annual memberships if you鈥檇 like even more choices. You鈥檒l also find a list of introductory books on living mindfully (all available at Rush Rhees Library on the River 人妻少妇专区 after September 2019) as well as video and audio resources.

Mindfulness research
Meditation apps
  • 听(Free for all students with .edu email!)
  • (Apply for a free account聽)
  • get free premium access by registering with your U of R email and in the settings, click Link to Organization and input 鈥溔似奚俑咀�区鈥�
Books

All of the below books are available at Rush Rhees Library.

  • 聽by Holly Rogers
  • 聽by Yael Shy
  • 聽by Jon Kabat-Zinn
  • 聽by Thich Naht Hahn
  • 聽by Sharon Salzberg
  • 聽by Pema Chodron
  • 聽by Tara Brach
  • by Kristin Neff
  • by Thich Nhat Hanh
  • 聽by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
  • 聽by Dan Harris and Jeff Warren
  • 聽by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson
  • 聽by Catherine Price
  • by Jacoby Ballard

For other mindfulness books available at Rush Rhees, you can check out our list聽.

Videos
Audio tracks