3 Chapter 1: Mindfulness Overview

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of awareness and a practice; it involves attending to the present moment and cultivating an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance of one’s experience (Mindfulness Toolbox, 2020). It consists of being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling without interpretation or judgment. It is a secular practice backed by compelling scientific evidence demonstrating reduced stress, chronic diseases, and overall health and wellbeing (Keng et al., 2011).

Mindfulness generally describes a state of awareness and a set of practices and skills that center around four qualities: Attention, intention, presence, and openness.

• Attention:
  • Listening, watching, or considering what naturally exists in and around you (i.e., directing, and sustaining attention on a selected object, such as the sound of one’s breath or a sound from a bowl).
• Intention:
  • Purposefully increasing awareness of experience
• Presence:
  • Being present in the moment, here and now.
    • I like to use the analogy of a basketball game. Observers of life are in the stands watching life go by. Being present in the moment is like being a player on the court with their headspace fully engaged in the game, yet through a peaceful and present engagement.
• Openness:
  • Being curious, objective, and non-judgmental about experiences. Simply observe, with no explicit focus on particular objects, noticing thoughts, emotions, and physical states).

Mindfulness in Practice: Key Considerations

Religious and cultural implications

Some students or families may oppose mindfulness because it may infringe on their religious traditions or promote certain religious beliefs. Be sensitive to these concerns and reiterate that mindfulness can be taught entirely secularly, with no religious, spiritual, or metaphysical dimensions. The practice of mindful awareness is present in nearly all classical traditions and philosophies. Additionally, mindfulness is empirically supported by basic medical science.

Trauma-Informed Mindfulness

Social workers and teachers need to be aware that as students become more conscious of their experiences, such as body awareness, feelings, and thoughts, latent trauma may surface, which can be painful. It is imperative to understand that when students resist, these are signs of increasing awareness and a deeper understanding of their experiences. Social workers must help guide students through trauma work to aid in processing these feelings.