What is mindfulness meditation and who is it for?
What is mindfulness meditation and who is it for?
Mindfulness meditation, also called “Mindfulness”, is a meditation technique that aims to reach a state of “mindfulness“. It comes from Eastern traditions that were imported into the body of psychological accompaniments by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979.
These meditation techniques aim to train the subject to direct his or her attention to the present moment, thus trying not to react to the environment or thoughts. The objective of mindfulness meditation, in its scientific approach, is to enable the patient to reduce stress by regularly reaching a state of mindfulness.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessarily a religious or spiritual approach, nor is it a reflective practice.
Jon Kabat-Zinn and Zindel Segal, who brought the techniques of “mindfulness” to the Western world, developed a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) stress management program initially structured in eight weekly sessions, either individually or in groups.
The sessions, generally lasting one or two hours, are conducted by 1 or 2 instructors. They consist of meditation exercises, time to share experiences and explanations related to a specific theme. Between sessions, participants can do the exercises at home daily and cultivate mindfulness in routine activities.
Today mindfulness meditation is used in hospitals and is the subject of regular clinical and scientific research. Several studies attest to the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in the prevention of depressive relapses, the management of stress and anxiety, the management of chronic pain and sleep disorders. Mindfulness is also believed to have positive effects on the immune system, memory, concentration, creativity and empathy.
Mindfulness Meditation can be combined with other forms of therapies and drug treatments for patients with :