What is Mindfulness?

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Mindfulness is typically defined as the process of bringing awareness and non- judgmental acceptance to one's present moment experience of thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. Essentially, mindfulness consists of two components.1 First, it involves the self-regulation of attention, so it is directed and maintained on the immediate experience (including unpleasant emotions, addictive cravings, or whatever else may arise at a given moment). This is why a lot of mindfulness meditation is dedicated to simple exercises, such as focusing and sustaining attention on something like our breathing. Patients will often report this is much more difficult than they expect. In part, this is because our minds have a tendency to wander off and entertain a great deal of "chatter" - thoughts, memories, experiences, or various worries about unfinished tasks. It can be a real strain just to learn how to focus and regulate our attention. This is why we practice, so we can cultivate a better ability to "attend" and as part of this process, we also increase our awareness of things that may historically have gone unnoticed. For instance, someone may begin to appreciate small things in life for which they are grateful or discover aspects about themselves that were previously outside of consciousness. This in turn, can significantly enhance the depth and breadth of our life experience.

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The second component of mindfulness entails adopting an orientation towards one's present experience characterized by openness, curiosity, and acceptance. That means we don't pass judgment on the various experiences that arise in any given moment. Consider the application of this principle in the wake of an addictive craving. Historically, problem gamblers frequently get into a tug-of-war with their cravings and approach such cravings with an "I have to slay the dragon" mentality. In part, this is because the cravings are judged as "bad" or "problematic." Yet the cravings are simply a physiological and psychological experience that is neither good nor bad. A mindfulness approach doesn't give the experience special status or indulge the craving, but we don't ignore or avoid the craving either. In mindfulness, we simply pay attention with curiosity to how we experience the craving, the bodily-felt sensations that accompany such cravings, in a non-judgmental manner. Being mindful is about recreating a new relationship with the craving that allows it some space to co-exist with the self. If the craving feels too intense, we can take a break from it by focusing our attention for a short period on something neutral like the breath. When we are ready, attention is refocused in being present with the craving again. As part of this practice, various thoughts will arise and in mindfulness we just note such thoughts rather than getting wrapped up in them. A thought is just a thought, not a fact!
 

This is what mindfulness is about. Being present in the moment with an experience, rather than getting caught up with the stories we often tell ourselves about what the experiences should mean (e.g. this craving is too difficult, I can't handle it, etc.). With problem gamblers, the practice of mindfulness teaches individuals to "lean into experiences" rather than avoid them by turning to one's addiction.