The Concept and Experience of Mindfulness
When viewing the video mindfulness: opening meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn both times as a
meditation experience and a note taking experience, they were both beneficial in the different
perspective and information I gained from each time. To give a slight summary of what the video
entailed and the main takeaways, it is a guided talk and meditation that was performed by Jon
Kabat-Zinn. Within the talk Jon reflects on awareness, identity, presence, and non-goal-oriented
nature within the practice of mindfulness. The main themes that occurred were presence and
connection, the essence of meditation, the nature of thought and self, not needing to always strive
or feel like you need to achieve, the practice of returning, awareness beyond the mind, and the
mindfulness as a collective responsibility. When focusing on presence and connection there was
a emphasis on the importance of the human connect within the room and in humanity and how
meditation is possible in many environments. For the essence of meditation and awareness it was
discussed how there is no end or beginning and awareness is not limited nor a ritual, life itself
can be seen as a form of meditation. The nature of thought and self focuses on how we can get
caught up on ourselves and our own story and that awareness has no center and that our thoughts
are not our identities. It was then discussed that with meditation there isn’t a need to achieve only
to just be who you already are and shift from the story on me to being present in the direct
experience. When practicing returning to the state of meditation it is important to not carry
judgement towards yourself but just practicing the return to itself. For the topic of awareness
beyond the mind, it was encouraged to embrace the spaciousness within awareness such as
sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, sounds, smells, or even interruptions. One last theme
covered is how mindfulness is an ethical action in contribution to our responsibility as a whole.
When viewing the video mindfulness: opening meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn both times as a
meditation experience and a note taking experience, they were both beneficial in the different
perspective and information I gained from each time. To give a slight summary of what the video
entailed and the main takeaways, it is a guided talk and meditation that was performed by Jon
Kabat-Zinn. Within the talk Jon reflects on awareness, identity, presence, and non-goal-oriented
nature within the practice of mindfulness. The main themes that occurred were presence and
connection, the essence of meditation, the nature of thought and self, not needing to always strive
or feel like you need to achieve, the practice of returning, awareness beyond the mind, and the
mindfulness as a collective responsibility. When focusing on presence and connection there was
a emphasis on the importance of the human connect within the room and in humanity and how
meditation is possible in many environments. For the essence of meditation and awareness it was
discussed how there is no end or beginning and awareness is not limited nor a ritual, life itself
can be seen as a form of meditation. The nature of thought and self focuses on how we can get
caught up on ourselves and our own story and that awareness has no center and that our thoughts
are not our identities. It was then discussed that with meditation there isn’t a need to achieve only
to just be who you already are and shift from the story on me to being present in the direct
experience. When practicing returning to the state of meditation it is important to not carry
judgement towards yourself but just practicing the return to itself. For the topic of awareness
beyond the mind, it was encouraged to embrace the spaciousness within awareness such as
sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, sounds, smells, or even interruptions. One last theme
covered is how mindfulness is an ethical action in contribution to our responsibility as a whole.
