What is mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. It is one of the many forms of meditation, if you think of meditation as any way in which we engage in 1) systematically regulating our attention and energy, 2) thereby influencing and possibly transforming the quality of our experience, 3) in the service of realizing the full range of our humanity, and of 4) our relationship to others and the world.”

— Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment — and Your Life (2011)

Foundational attitudes that support and strengthen mindfulness include curiosity, kindness, gratitude and generosity, acceptance, nonjudging, nonstriving, letting be, patience, humor, trust, and a beginner’s mind.

Researchers have documented the benefits of mindfulness in several areas: 1) symptom reduction (reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, improvement in quality-of-life outcomes among cancer patients, etc.), 2) improvements in biological markers (changes in cortisol measures in those with high stress levels, etc.), and 3) neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to change in response to life circumstance and learning).

Mindfulness Research Guide

For more information on mindfulness and its roots in Buddhism, please see our University of Miami Libraries’ Mindfulness Research Guide.

E-Books and Audiobooks

The University of Miami Libraries provides access to mindfulness and well-being resources available online. Browse a curated selection of e-books and audiobooks, and explore the catalog and public health databases for more options, including current research on mindfulness and well-being.