What Is Mindfulness?

Thought leaders have been studying the mind since before written communication existed. Although it has its roots in Buddhist meditation, mindfulness is a 2,500-year-old secular practice about cultivating our capacity for awareness and acceptance of the present moment. Mindfulness is a moment-to-moment, non-judgmental, awareness of the present, typically using our sensation of breathing or a sense of our body as an anchor for our attention.

Mindfulness involves acceptance, meaning that we observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment: without categorizing them as “right” or “wrong” or “good” or “bad.” When we practice mindfulness, we tune into the present moment rather than ruminating over the past or fantasizing about the future.

Why Practice Meditation?

Research suggests that mindfulness can physically change the brain and body and could potentially help to improve many health problems and promote healthy behaviors. Over the past 40 years, thousands of studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, mental, and social benefits. Below are just some of the scientifically researched benefits of mindfulness. (Research references are located at the bottom of this page).

Mindfulness Research

  • Mindfulness boosts our brain and immune function.[1]
  • Mindfulness is good for your mental health.[2]
  • Mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress.[3]
  • Mindfulness training is as effective as antidepressants at protecting from a relapse of depression.[4]
  • Mindfulness increases gray matter concentration in brain regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking.[5]
  • Mindfulness increases our attention and focus.[6],[7]
  • Mindfulness improves mental cognition. Even brief mindfulness training significantly improved visuospatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning.[8]
  • Mindfulness makes you a better decision-maker.[9]
  • Mindfulness supports the cultivation of compassion [10] and empathy.[11]
  • Mindfulness enriches relationships [12] and moderates the impact of conflict.[13]
  • Mindfulness improves your self-esteem and sense of well-being.[14],[15]
  • Mindfulness improves our well-being by encouraging us to act authentically according to our values[16]
  • Mindfulness improves our ability to develop a positive body image.[17]
  • Mindfulness makes us more resilient and helps us positively reframe negative events.[18]
  • Mindfulness may be a useful component of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment.[19]
  • Mindfulness acts as an antidote to the effects of childhood abuse and neglect.[20]
  • Mindfulness helps teachers, therapists, counselors, parents, and other caregivers significantly reduce stress, and meaningfully increase self-compassion, and well-being when interacting with individuals with developmental disabilities.[21]
  • Mindfulness training makes leaders more self-confident, and enhances their skills; such as, inspiring a shared vision, demonstrating moral intelligence, and motivating others.[22]
  • Mindfulness improves your creativity.[23]
  • Mindfulness enhances multitasking ability in a high-stress environment.[24]
  • Mindfulness can increase customer satisfaction through lowering employee’s stress.[25]
  • Mindfulness makes you a better parent.[26]
  • Mindfulness can help your teenager improve their happiness, emotional well-being, and self-compassion while reducing stress, rumination, depressive symptoms, and negative affect.[27]

Beginner Meditation Exercise

If mindfulness appeals to you, going to a class can be a great way to start. Here is a mindfulness exercise you can try on your own.

  • Sit in an upright position on a chair, or cross-legged on the floor.

  • Focus on the sensations of your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.

  • As you breathe in, say to yourself: "Breathing in, I calm myself."

  • As you breathe out, say to yourself: "Breathing out, I smile."

  • If you become aware of sounds, sensations, or thoughts - embrace each thought or sensation without judging it as good or bad and tenderly return your focus to your breathing.

Experiment for Your Self

You are your own living laboratory!

When trying out different mindful practices, remember that different types of exercises have different benefits. It might take some experimentation to find the practice that’s right for you. If you are interested in more formal training, try one of our courses for cultivating mindfulness.

Want to Explore More?

Are you interested in learning more about mindfulness before you sign up for a course? Check out these helpful articles: 

Try an Online Course

Below, you may explore mindfulness classes for our online community.

  • All Courses

    Cultivating Mindfulness

    Lay the foundation for developing a meditation practice to bring mindfulness, calmness, fullness, and clarity into your everyday life. This six-week course is recommended for beginning practitioners and those seeking to revitalize their practice.

    90 Lessons $325.00
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Key Research References


  1. J. Davidson, Richard & Kabat-Zinn, Jon. (2004). Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine. 66. 149-152. 10.1097/00006842-200401000-00023.
  2. Keng, Shian-Ling & J Smoski, Moria & Robins, Clive. (2011). Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies. Clinical psychology review. 31. 1041-56. 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006.
  3. Weinstein, Netta & Brown, Kirk & Ryan, Richard. (2009). A multi-method examination of the effects of mindfulness on stress attribution, coping, and emotional well-being. Journal of Research in Personality. 43. 374-385. 10.1016/j.jrp.2008.12.008.
  4. V Segal, Zindel & Bieling, Peter & Young, Trevor & Macqueen, Glenda & Cooke, Robert & Martin, Lawrence & Bloch, Richard & Levitan, Robert. (2010). Antidepressant Monotherapy vs Sequential Pharmacotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or Placebo, for Relapse Prophylaxis in Recurrent Depression. Archives of general psychiatry. 67. 1256-64. 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.168.
  5. Holzel, Britta & Carmody, James & Vangel, Mark & Congleton, Christina & M Yerramsetti, Sita & Gard, Tim & Lazar, Sara. (2010). Mindfulness Practice Leads to Increases in Regional Brain Gray Matter Density. Psychiatry research. 191. 36-43. 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006.
  6. Kerr, Catherine & Jones, Stephanie & Wan, Qian & Pritchett, Dominique & H Wasserman, Rachel & Wexler, Anna & J Villanueva, Joel & R Shaw, Jessica & Lazar, Sara & J Kaptchuk, Ted & Littenberg, Ronnie & Hämäläinen, Matti & Moore, Christopher. (2011). Effects of mindfulness meditation training on anticipatory alpha modulation in primary somatosensory cortex. Brain research bulletin. 85. 96-103. 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.03.026.
  7. Moore, Adam & Gruber, Thomas & Derose, Jennifer & Malinowski, Peter. (2012). Regular, brief mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control. Frontiers in human neuroscience. 6. 18. 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00018.
  8. Zeidan, Fadel & Johnson, Susan & J Diamond, Bruce & David, Zhanna & Goolkasian, Paula. (2010). Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, 19, 597-605. Consciousness and cognition. 19. 597-605. 10.1016/j.concog.2010.03.014.
  9. Hafenbrack, Andrew & Kinias, Zoe & Barsade, Sigal. (2013). Debiasing the Mind through Meditation: Mindfulness and the Sunk Cost Bias. 10.5465/AMBPP.2013.11582abstract.
  10. Condon, Paul & Desbordes, Gaelle & B Miller, Willa & Desteno, David. (2013). Meditation Increases Compassionate Response to Suffering. Psychological science. 24. 10.1177/0956797613485603.
  11. Weng, Helen & Fox, Andrew & Shackman, Alexander & Stodola, Diane & Caldwell, Jessica & C Olson, Matthew & M Rogers, Gregory & J Davidson, Richard. (2013). Compassion Training Alters Altruism and Neural Responses to Suffering. Psychological science. 24. 10.1177/0956797612469537.
  12. Carson, James & Carson, Kimberly & Gil, Karen & H. BAUCOM, DONALD. (2006). Mindfulness-Based Relationship Enhancement (MBRE) in Couples. Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: Clinician's Guide to Evidence Base and Applications. 309-331. 10.1016/B978-012088519-0/50015-0.
  13. K. Laurent, Heidemarie & Hertz, Robin & Nelson, Benjamin & Laurent, Sean. (2016). Mindfulness during romantic conflict moderates the impact of negative partner behaviors on cortisol responses. Hormones and Behavior. 79. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.01.005.
  14. Hanley, Adam & Garland, Eric. (2016). Clarity of mind: Structural equation modeling of associations between dispositional mindfulness, self-concept clarity and psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Differences. 106. 10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.028.
  15. Pepping, Christopher & J. Davis, Penelope & O’Donovan, Analise. (2016). Mindfulness for Cultivating Self-Esteem. 259-275. 10.1007/978-3-319-22255-4_13.
  16. Christie, Alison & Atkins, Paul & Donald, James. (2016). The Meaning and Doing of Mindfulness: The Role of Values in the Link Between Mindfulness and Well-Being. Mindfulness. Accepted. 10.1007/s12671-016-0606-9.
  17. Webb, Jennifer & Rogers, Courtney & Etzel, Lena & Padro, Meagan. (2018). "Mom, quit fat talking--I'm trying to eat (mindfully) here!": Evaluating a Sociocultural Model of Family Fat Talk, Positive Body Image, and Mindful Eating in College Women. Appetite. 126. 10.1016/j.appet.2018.04.003.
  18. Hanley, Adam & H. Palejwala, Mohammed & T. Hanley, Robert & Canto, Angela & Garland, Eric. (2015). A failure in mind: Dispositional mindfulness and positive reappraisal as predictors of academic self-efficacy following failure. Personality and Individual Differences. 86. 332-337. 10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.033.
  19. King, Anthony & R Block, Stefanie & Sripada, Rebecca & Rauch, Sheila & Giardino, Nicholas & Favorite, Todd & Angstadt, Mike & Kessler, Daniel & Welsh, Robert & Liberzon, Israel. (2016). Altered Default Mode Network (Dmn) Resting State Functional Connectivity Following a Mindfulness-Based Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) in Combat Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. Depression and anxiety. 33. 289-299. 10.1002/da.22481.
  20. Caldwell, Jon. (2014). Promoting Attachment-Related Mindfulness and Compassion: a Wait-List-Controlled Study of Women Who Were Mistreated During Childhood. Mindfulness. 6. 1-13. 10.1007/s12671-014-0298-y.
  21. Bazzano, Alicia & Wolfe, Christiane & Zylowska, Lidia & Wang, Steven & Schuster, Erica & Barrett, Christopher & Lehrer, Danise. (2013). Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Parents and Caregivers of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: A Community-Based Approach. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 24. 10.1007/s10826-013-9836-9.
  22. D. Amar, A & Hlupic, V & Tamwatin, T. (2014). EFFECT OF MEDITATION ON SELF-PERCEPTION OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS: A CONTROL GROUP STUDY OF CEOs. Academy of Management Proceedings. 2014. 14282-14282. 10.5465/AMBPP.2014.300.
  23. Colzato, Lorenza & Ozturk, Ayca & Hommel, Bernhard. (2012). Meditate to Create: The Impact of Focused-Attention and Open-Monitoring Training on Convergent and Divergent Thinking. Frontiers in psychology. 3. 116. 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116.
  24. M. Levy, David & Wobbrock, Jacob & Kaszniak, Alfred & Ostergren, Marilyn. (2012). The effects of mindfulness meditation training on multitasking in a high-stress information environment. Proceedings - Graphics Interface. 45-52.
  25. Gregoire, Simon & Lachance, Lise. (2014). Evaluation of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Reduce Psychological Distress in the Workplace. Mindfulness. 6. 10.1007/s12671-014-0328-9.
  26. Corthorn, Carolina & Milicic, Neva. (2015). Mindfulness and Parenting: A Correlational Study of Non-meditating Mothers of Preschool Children. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 25. 10.1007/s10826-015-0319-z.
  27. M Galla, Brian. (2016). Within-person changes in mindfulness and self-compassion predict enhanced emotional well-being in healthy, but stressed adolescents. Journal of adolescence. 49. 204-217. 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.03.016.