Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to what is happening right here, right now. When you are being mindful you are aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations and you experience them directly, rather than thinking about them. This can change the impact thoughts and feelings have and our experience of life. Mindfulness is a practice that has been used for thousands of years in a variety of cultures around the world. In the last 20 years it has become of much more interest in the West as evidence has started to accumulate that it is an effective way to increase calmness and to alleviate anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness can also be combined with a range of other therapeutic approaches as a useful self-help tool for clients.