What Is Mindfulness
No standard definition exists at this point, but the most accepted one comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program: “Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally”. Chade-Meng Tan, who championed mindfulness programs at Google, has offered this definition: “Mindfulness is the mind of just being”. Almost all definitions of mindfulness include this notion of "moment-to-moment awareness" of what is really happening.
One of the key aspects of mindfulness practices is to promote the balancing of the world of "doing"...with the world of "being". Many of us have become experts at "doing"...but have not been able to tap into the power and benefits of "being". Connecting with our mind / body /feelings...in the present moment of being...can dramatically shift our everyday experience.
For a discussion on how to bring more balance into your life with mindfulness meditation, listen to the podcast that Bill did with Nicole Mason in the Fall of 2016.
For simple explanations of mindfulness and how it works, please see the various Dan Harris videos on the Mindfulness Videos tab.
For an excellent overview of mindfulness and it's impact, please view a 2014 CBS 60 Minutes segment by Anderson Cooper on "Mindfulness In America".
Benefits
The key benefits of mindfulness practices as they relate to the workplace are:
Other benefits, at a more personal level, that you can experience from mindfulness practices include:
Mindfulness meditation can have a varied impact on your life. It can range from learning some useful practices that you occasionally use...to becoming a way of life.
Scientific Validation
A significant amount of scientific research has been done over the past 15 years on the positive effects of mindfulness practices. Refer to the Research page for more details.
The benefits observed from mindfulness practices can be attributed to the concepts of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. The human brain is continually evolving in response to experience through establishment of new neuronal connections, the strengthening of existing ones, or creation of new neurons. In essence, the mind "takes its shape from what it rests upon”.
Influence Of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
The modern mindfulness movement has been heavily influenced by the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that he created. The MBSR program was founded in 1980 by Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical Center. It was conceived as an alternative program for pain and stress relief where traditional Western medical interventions had not been effective. After refinement during the 1980's, the program began to spread to other medical centers around the world in the 1990's. In 1993, Bill Moyer produced a documentary called “Healing and the Mind”, which featured Jon's MBSR clinic. This documentary greatly accelerated interest in MBSR within the general public. Today, MBSR is being taught in over 700 medical centers worldwide...and there are over 1000 teachers certified. The wide success of MBSR has resulted in the spawning of other mindfulness based interventions (MBIs), some of which are listed below:
Into The Workplace
Mindfulness programs have been especially popular in technology companies...like Google, Facebook, Twitter, VMWare, Plantronics and LinkedIn. It has also begun to spread into mainstream businesses, like Farmers Insurance. Programs like Wisdom 2.0 have been instrumental in connecting the technology and mindfulness communities together...furthering the movement of mindfulness into the workplace.
No standard definition exists at this point, but the most accepted one comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program: “Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally”. Chade-Meng Tan, who championed mindfulness programs at Google, has offered this definition: “Mindfulness is the mind of just being”. Almost all definitions of mindfulness include this notion of "moment-to-moment awareness" of what is really happening.
One of the key aspects of mindfulness practices is to promote the balancing of the world of "doing"...with the world of "being". Many of us have become experts at "doing"...but have not been able to tap into the power and benefits of "being". Connecting with our mind / body /feelings...in the present moment of being...can dramatically shift our everyday experience.
For a discussion on how to bring more balance into your life with mindfulness meditation, listen to the podcast that Bill did with Nicole Mason in the Fall of 2016.
For simple explanations of mindfulness and how it works, please see the various Dan Harris videos on the Mindfulness Videos tab.
For an excellent overview of mindfulness and it's impact, please view a 2014 CBS 60 Minutes segment by Anderson Cooper on "Mindfulness In America".
Benefits
The key benefits of mindfulness practices as they relate to the workplace are:
- Improved concentration / attention: Improved ability to focus on the task at hand and handle interrupts better. Also improved attention to detail and memory.
- Improved working relationships: Improved ability to connect and empathize with fellow workers. Improved ability to listen effectively, thus reducing the length and frequency of meetings.
- Ability to handle stress more effectively: Improved ability to respond to stress in a more positive way, with less activation of our parasympathetic nervous systems (fight-or-flight). We see what is happening with stress…slow it down .interrupting the unconscious reaction…and have a different response.
- Increased baseline happiness (set point): Raise the setpoint of our inner "core" happiness. This is the baseline of happiness what we return to after the passing of pleasant or unpleasant experiences.
Other benefits, at a more personal level, that you can experience from mindfulness practices include:
- Improved mood and sense of aliveness
- Greater feelings of equanimity / calm / contentment
- Increased patience
- Greater compassion for others
- Internal emotional stability and clarity
- Increased longevity of cognitive function
- Improved immune system function
Mindfulness meditation can have a varied impact on your life. It can range from learning some useful practices that you occasionally use...to becoming a way of life.
Scientific Validation
A significant amount of scientific research has been done over the past 15 years on the positive effects of mindfulness practices. Refer to the Research page for more details.
The benefits observed from mindfulness practices can be attributed to the concepts of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. The human brain is continually evolving in response to experience through establishment of new neuronal connections, the strengthening of existing ones, or creation of new neurons. In essence, the mind "takes its shape from what it rests upon”.
Influence Of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
The modern mindfulness movement has been heavily influenced by the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that he created. The MBSR program was founded in 1980 by Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical Center. It was conceived as an alternative program for pain and stress relief where traditional Western medical interventions had not been effective. After refinement during the 1980's, the program began to spread to other medical centers around the world in the 1990's. In 1993, Bill Moyer produced a documentary called “Healing and the Mind”, which featured Jon's MBSR clinic. This documentary greatly accelerated interest in MBSR within the general public. Today, MBSR is being taught in over 700 medical centers worldwide...and there are over 1000 teachers certified. The wide success of MBSR has resulted in the spawning of other mindfulness based interventions (MBIs), some of which are listed below:
- Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT…for depression)
- Mindfulness Based Eating Awareness (MB-EAT)
- Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP)
- Mindfulness Based Art Training for Cancer Patients (MBAT)
- Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention for Binge Drinking (MBRP)
- Mindfulness Based Trauma Therapy (MBTT)
- Mindfulness Based Elder Care (MBEC)
- Mindfulness Based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT…US Marines…Elizabeth Stanley and Amishi Jha)
- Google’s Search Inside Yourself (mindfulness based emotional intelligence)
Into The Workplace
Mindfulness programs have been especially popular in technology companies...like Google, Facebook, Twitter, VMWare, Plantronics and LinkedIn. It has also begun to spread into mainstream businesses, like Farmers Insurance. Programs like Wisdom 2.0 have been instrumental in connecting the technology and mindfulness communities together...furthering the movement of mindfulness into the workplace.