What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been defined in many different ways in the scientific literature. Two features appear in most definitions of mindfulness: the notion of the present moment and a non-judgmental attitude toward one’s experience. These two features might not bring much clarity to what mindfulness actually is. To better define mindfulness, let’s explore how our brains work.  

The human brain is an incredible organ that mostly does three functions. It receives sensory input, it processes it, and it expresses a response accordingly. Even when we are awake, we are, to a certain degree, unconscious of what is going on in our senses. Mindfulness is the skill that allows us to bring focus on the sensory experience. 

 As a metaphor, let’s presume that your current experience is like the surface of a dark lake; the only thing you are aware of is the surface of the lake. Let’s presume that mindfulness is like a torchlight. When you apply mindfulness to your current experience, you bring that torchlight to the surface of the dark lake. You can now see many layers beneath the surface down to the bottom of the lake. In this metaphor, the lake represents the pool of all sensory experiences from the inner world (mind & body) and the outer world. The surface of the lake represents what is most apparent at the surface of consciousness. The surface may not give credit to the richness of the actual sensory experience. Mindfulness (the torchlight) allows you to bring clarity for a certain time to what is going on at the sensory level (layers beneath the surface) without preference for any sensory experiences.

With mindfulness, you get to know how your senses work. You become sensory literate. By being in close contact with your senses, you have no choice but to be in the present moment as your senses inform you of the present moment. Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed and trained. As mindfulness grows over time, so does the ability to experience the present moment. 

The term mindfulness can sometimes be misleading as it can be used for both mindful awareness and mindfulness practices. For instance, some people think that mindfulness equals breath meditation. This is an example of a mindfulness practice used in specific mindfulness programs. The term mindfulness, as described above (the lake metaphor), would be an example of what mindful awareness is. For simplicity, in this website, the term mindfulness equates mindful awareness. When referring to mindfulness practices and mindfulness exercises, this will be clearly indicated to avoid any confusion.