~What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the moment-to-moment observation, with calm attention, of whatever is happening within the body and the mind.
We all have the ability to be aware in this way.
This non-judgmental and non-interfering observation is one of the keys to unlock patterns of suffering.

Practice strengthens our mindfulness into a powerful tool that can cut through deeply ingrained habits that cause suffering.
Mindfulness helps us learn how to relate to things differently, without reacting in habitual ways to what is pleasant or unpleasant.

This practice helps purify the mind from the forces of greed, hatred, and delusion, which the Buddha identified as the causes of all our suffering.
As the practice deepens, calmness and clarity lead to liberating insight into the facts of existence (vipassana) and greater freedom from suffering.

Techniques for developing mindfulness derive from one of the most famous discourses of the Buddha called The Foundations of Mindfulness (the Satipatthana Sutta). The many methods of practice are rooted in the Theravadin Buddhist tradition of Southeast Asia. Within this larger tradition, diverse styles of practice have developed over the centuries, such as the mental noting technique made popular in the 1940's by the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma.

Mindfulness meditation is concerned with only one thing: the liberation of the heart and mind from suffering.
The wisdom and compassion that come through this practice are of benefit not just to ourselves but to everyone.