MINDFULNESS PRINCIPLES BY JON KABAT ZINN ON NL MINDFUL CLASS

MINDFULNESS PRINCIPLES:

Let’s reflect on Principles of Mindfulness developed by Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn in 2013. We added two principles and we look closer on how to apply these principles in a Mindfulness practice.You do not have to memorize this list, we will develop a sense for the principles of Mindfulness week by week. At the end of the NL MINDFUL class you can read the list again and ask yourself which principles mean a lot for your Mindfulness practice.

PATIENCE

We don’t put pressure on us. We give ourselves time and space and we allow that things will evolve over time, your Mindfulness practice as well. Learning to have more patience obviously is not easy, we train that muscle while practicing Mindfulness day by day.

BEGINNER’S MIND

Beginner’s Mind is the willingness to see things in their original freshness, as we would see them for the first time. Eating an orange can be boring and not very satisfying, as we often eat without being aware of it. We are rushing through our meals. If we apply Beginner’s mind to eating an orange, our meal can become a complex experience with many different tastes and smells. We practice Beginner’s Mind in our exploration of a Mindful Morning and in the Tea Mind Meditation next week.

TRUST & ACCEPTANCE

In Mindfulness we allow ourselves to feel exactly the way we feel right now.We start from that acceptance. We trust in the present moment, letting go of the idea that past and future have more power than the present moment. The present moment is the only moment in life we can really experience with all our senses. We trust in our own ability to meet life. Not easy and new for many of us, therefore we learn that in Mindfulness again and again.

NON STRIVING

In Mindfulness we allow ourselves time and space for supporting ourselves in the first place, not trying to fix things immediately, not acting when we are not in balance, there is time for action later. Not thriving for a better me, a perfect world, a perfect meditation moment. There is no such thing as perfection.We do not meditate with a certain goal in mind, that would put a senseless pressure on us.

NON JUDGING

Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn defined the principle of Non Judging. We are obviously constantly judging ourselves and others and we tend to judge even the judging. In Mindfulness we try to become aware of the harsh inner judging voice that we all have inside.When we can detect it, this is a moment of Mindfulness. We learn to accept our human mind with all its rushing and judging.

KINDNESS & SELF COMPASSION

In NL MINDFUL we add Kindness & Self Compassion to this list of principles, as in Mindfulness we respond to self blame with Self Compassion and Kindness towards ourselves.

„Mindfulness means being self compassionate with ourselves- Prof. Mark Williams (Oxford University).

LETTING GO

In Mindfulness we practice Letting go, because Clinging to something gives us a feeling of being trapped. Not easy for many of us. We can learn that by exploring and imagining how Letting go would feel like in our body & mind, this way we explore the beneficial effects of Letting go.

AWARENESS

Awareness is not on the Jon Kabat Zinn list. Awareness is at the centre of Mindfulness. Maybe it is not on the list, because Awareness might not be called an attitude, but actually we think it is, because we can set the intention of waking up and becoming aware of the world inside and outside.