Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation is the regular, systematic training of attention to turn inward and dwell continuously on a single focus within consciousness.

Eventually, meditation will make our mind calm, clear, and as concentrated as a laser which we can focus at will.  This capacity of one-pointed attention is the essence of genius.  When we have this mastery over attention in everything we do, we have a genius for life itself: unshakable security, clear judgment, and deep personal relationships.- Eknath Easwaran                                                                            

Mindfulness is moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness.

When you are in the present moment and truly let go of the past and the future, and step out of the stream of thinking, the experience is of timelessness.  Even a few minutes by clock time can be restorative because timeless “moments” are liberating moments.  There is no place to go, nothing to do.- Jon Kabat-Zinn

There are various methods of meditation, formal and informal, as determined by the focal point that attention is trained to.  

Mindfulness describes both a form of meditation and a way of being in the world. For example, you might sit for a period of time following your breathing, noticing thoughts and other experiences entering into your consciousness, but always returning your attention to your breath. You might be walking across campus and instead of thinking about the exam coming up in a couple of days decide instead to focus your attention solely on the sights and sounds and sensations around you. This site offers a sample of meditation and mindfulness practices.  Take a moment to slow down, stop, and smell the flowers.