Mindfulness Practices

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention, on purpose, to what is happening right now without immediately judging it as good or bad. It is better understood as a trainable skill than a belief system, so people use it across many religious backgrounds, and many people use it with no religious background at all. Decades of research suggest it can support stress, anxiety, and mood when practiced consistently. This page offers an overview of common approaches and is not a substitute for professional care.

Mindfulness Methods

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the late 1970s. It is a structured 8-week program that combines meditation, gentle yoga, and body awareness practices. It is widely studied and is often available through hospitals, universities, and free online versions.
• Body Scan. This foundational MBSR practice involves lying down or sitting comfortably, then moving attention through the body one area at a time and noticing sensations without needing to change them. It is often a good starting point for people who find seated meditation difficult. A related but distinct approach is this Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise, which actively tenses and releases muscles rather than simply observing sensations.
• Vipassana ("insight" meditation). Vipassana is one of the oldest Buddhist meditation practices, often translated as "to see things as they really are." With roots in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, it is taught today both within Buddhist contexts and in secular adaptations. Many programs, including 10-day courses associated with S.N. Goenka's tradition, are offered worldwide free of charge on a donation basis.

Body-Based Relaxation

For many people, moving the body can work just as well as sitting still for building present-moment awareness and easing stress.

• Yoga. Yoga combines postures, breathing, and often meditation, and NCCIH-reviewed research indicates benefits for issues like low-back pain, stress, and sleep. It is widely available in many styles and intensities, from gentle chair yoga to vigorous vinyasa.
• Qi Gong. Qi gong is a Chinese practice that combines slow movement, breathing, and focused attention as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It has been studied for stress reduction, balance, and general wellbeing.
• Tai Chi. Sometimes described as meditation in motion, tai chi uses slow, flowing movements that were originally developed as a martial art in China. It is now widely practiced for stress reduction, balance, and healthy aging, and NCCIH-reviewed evidence supports benefits for symptoms in conditions such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.

If you want an easy first step right now with no special training, try the Grounding & Breathing tool.

Getting Started

Start small, even 2 to 5 minutes is enough to begin building the habit. Consistency matters more than duration, so a brief daily practice usually helps more than occasional long sessions. Minds wander, and noticing that wandering is not failure; that moment of noticing is the practice working.

Where to Go for More

• Mindful.org - A beginner-friendly, secular guide to starting a mindfulness practice, with articles and audio.
• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley) - Research-based overview of what mindfulness is and the science behind its benefits.
• UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center - Free guided meditations in English and Spanish from a university research center.
• Palouse Mindfulness - A complete, free, self-paced 8-week MBSR-based online course.
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) - Evidence-based overviews of yoga, tai chi, and qigong, including safety information.