Mindfulness

This article should specify the language of its non-English content using {{lang}} or {{langx}}, {{transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's multilingual support templates may also be used. See why. (June 2025)

Part of a series on
Mindfulness
Buddhism Buddhist meditation Sati Anussati Sampajañña Satipatthana Anapanasati Mental noting Appamāda Vipassanā Zen
Psychology Mindfulness-based stress reduction Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Mindfulness-based pain management Acceptance and commitment therapy Dialectical behavior therapy Mode deactivation therapy Morita therapy Hakomi therapy Mindfulness (journal)
Other Buddhism and psychology Mindful Yoga
Similar concepts Wakefulness Attention Alertness Prudence Conscientiousness Contemplation Epoché Awareness Observation Choiceless awareness Isolation tank
Category
v t e

Mindfulness is the cognitive skill,^[1][2][3] usually developed through exercises, of sustaining metacognitive awareness towards the contents of one's own mind and bodily sensations in the present moment.^{[4][5][a][6][7][8]} The term mindfulness derives from the Pali word sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions,^[9][10] and the practice is based on ānāpānasati, Chan, and Tibetan meditation techniques.^[11][12][b]

Since the 1990s, secular mindfullness has gained popularity in the west.^[13] Individuals who have contributed to the popularity of secular mindfulness in the modern Western context include Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thích Nhất Hạnh.^[14][15]

Clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on mindfulness for helping people experiencing a variety of psychological conditions.^{[15] [c]} Clinical studies have documented both physical- and mental-health benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in healthy adults and children.^{[29][30][31][32] [d] [e]}

Critics have questioned both the commercialization and the over-marketing of mindfulness for health benefits—as well as emphasizing the need for more randomized controlled studies, for more methodological details in reported studies and for the use of larger sample-sizes.^{[8][page needed][need quotation to verify][34][web 1]}

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=web> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=web}} template (see the help page).