Meditation is an exercise that is meant to cultivate some quality, In mindfulness practice we use a variety of meditations to help develop awareness and cultivate a more compassionate way of living. A typical mindfulness meditation involves inviting attention onto something, often a physical process such as breathing, and working with whatever arises.
A common myth is that meditation is about “emptying the mind”. Mindfulness meditation rather invites a particular way of working with what is in the mind. It is rare, even if you have been meditating for many years, to get to a state where thinking subsides. In fact, thinking is a natural part of our normal experience. In a mindfulness meditation, when thoughts start to dominate experience, the invitation is to gently move away from that back to the focus of the meditation, such as the breath or a body sensation.
Ken Lunn introducing Mindfulness on the Liz Green show BBC Radio Leeds.
Shauna Shapiro on the importance of developing a kind attitude:
Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, introduces mindfulness meditation.