“Sit all together in meditation. Become peacefully calm and quiet, without motion, without stillness, without birth, without destruction, without coming or going, with no judgments of right or wrong, neither staying nor going. This, then, is the Great Way.”
Hui Neng, Sixth Zen Patriarch
Mindfulness is a central concept in Buddhism, which basically means paying attention to the here and now, without judgment. Developing the skill of mindfulness requires regular practice, as it takes time to free the mind from its internal chatter. However, it is a skill that has been shown to bring multiple benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety, and improving physical and emotional well being. Dr Richard Davidson found that people who practiced for only eight weeks showed positive changes in the brain function and immune response.
“By meditating, you can become happier, you can concentrate more effectively and you can change your brain in ways that support that.”
Dr Richard Davidson
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic discusses mindfulness and meditation—watch the full presentation or the short version below.
Cool and calma 