The true meaning of "mindfulness" and how to practice it

Learn from the world’s biggest thinkers.
Introducing our latest Big Think Class.

The art of mindfulness

Mindfulness is all the rage lately. And claims of the practice’s effectiveness can range from it being relaxing to it granting you mental superpowers. If you’re trying to start a mindfulness routine, such puffery makes it tricky to know where the practice ends and the fad begins. Enter Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Center for Mindfulness.

Mindfulness, as defined by Kabat-Zinn, is the intentional, nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment that fosters relational clarity and healing, encouraging individuals to cultivate discernment and embrace their experiences without the distractions of judgment or striving. In this class, he suggests how to begin cultivating it in your life.

Learning objectives:

• Allow your thoughts to self-liberate.

• Analyze your thoughts and impulses with compassion.

• Reconcile mindfulness and ambition.

• Evaluate how mindfulness can fit into your health routine.

• Interrogate how mindfulness could enhance your workplace.

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Lessons

Lesson 1: The neuroscience of mindfulness
Lesson 2: Four ways to practice mindfulness
Lesson 3: Wake up to the world
Lesson 4: Elevate your health
Lesson 5: Liberate yourself from your thoughts
Lesson 6: Liberate yourself from the 3 toxic impulses
Lesson 7: Reconcile mindfulness and ambition
Lesson 8: Bring mindfulness to the workplace

Watch all lessons below »