Mindfulness isn't about sitting on a cushion and feeling one with the universe. Mindfulness is about realizing the extent of suffering, greed, delusion, and injustice in our world. Kabat Zinn says that the practice of mindfulness is a way to become more aware of these realities.
You can practice mindfulness without suppressing your feelings
One of the most important aspects to mindfulness is your ability to bring your attention back to the present moment. You can practice this by exploring your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It is important for us to understand that our thoughts, emotions and behavior are not always in control. Trying to block out unpleasant thoughts is not a good idea. This will actually give your mind more energy in a subsequent moment.
It is impossible to eliminate every negative thought. However, mindfulness can be a helpful tool in identifying them. You can then pause and think about what you want instead of reacting. Mindfulness can be a helpful tool to help you deal with situations that make you feel anxious and stressed.
Observe how one perceives and reacts to sensory objects
Sensory processing includes the ability to observe one's response and perceptions of sensory objects. This process involves the use of sensory receptors, which detect sensory stimuli and organize these sensations into a mental model. Every sensory system has absolute and difference thresholds. This is the minimum difference between stimuli that can activate it. These thresholds can help us understand what we perceive. However, perceptions are also affected and influenced by beliefs.
Mindfulness on an international scale
Companies have adopted corporate mindfulness as a way to increase employee well-being. This movement began among tech companies and has been adopted by many established US and European businesses, as well government agencies. Google, Aetna and Beiersdorf are all realizing the advantages of mindfulness as an employee engagement tool.
Research has shown that mindfulness practice can lead to improved mental and physical health. The benefits of mindfulness are not only felt by those who practice it, but by their community. It can improve the skills of volunteers, such as firefighters, police, police officers and emergency medical technicians. It can also help individuals and communities to cope with stress and increase cognitive flexibility.