There are many definitions of mindfulness. None adequately capture the nature of mindfulness because mindfulness is pre-conceptual awareness. Mindfulness allows us to experience the world directly, not just through the lens of thought. Thoughts are representations, symbols that stand for reality, not reality itself. You can’t smell, taste or eat the word “apple.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.
- On purpose meaning with intention and commitment
- To the present moment meaning by directly experiencing each moment as it arises
- Without judgment meaning by accepting and begin with whatever is present rather than resisting what is being experienced.
