"Mindfulness is attention to experience as it is happening - that is, in the present moment. p. 9
Can you separate your conceptual framework from your experience? If you can, what would you see? p. 9
Mindfulness is a tool we can use to examine conceptual frameworks, to lessen the influence of preconceptions and to experience "what is" by choice rather through drugs or neurological damage. p. 10
Minfulness is the art of observing your physical, emotional and mental experiences with deliberate, open and curious attention. p. 11
By practicing present-time awareness, even in the midst of a difficult situation, you can become aware of your impulses (your reactive patterns), stop, perhaps take a breath, and respond skillfully in a way that does not lead to more harm. p. 15
Mindfulness is an accepting and kind attitude toward yourself and your present-moment experience. p. 16
When you are aware of the present moment in a kind and curious way, accepting it as it is, then you have the direct experience of mindfulness. p. 16
Judgments arise unbidden in our minds, so we don't need to judge our judgements! Instead, recognize them for what they are: thoughts passing through your mind. p. 16
It is simple to be mindful, but remembering to be mindful can be very difficult. p. 17
With mindfulness, we simply notice. We become aware. p. 20
In meditation we use an anchor to keep our minds from being tossed and turned by the ocean of thoughts, stimuli, sensations, sounds and emotions. In the mindfulness practice taught in this book, we use the breath as our anchor, although it is possible to use other anchors, such as sounds or bodily sensations. Other meditation practices use an image, a candle flame, another body part or mantra (a repeating word). p. 45
The key to mindfulness in breathing practice is feeling the breath. p. 47
When you have ideas about pain, you may be so caught in the ideas that you miss the reality of the experience (and this is true in general of bringing mindfulness to any experience). p. 87
Mindfulness is about being present in a curious manner with whatever emotion arises - good or bad. p. 97
The mindful approach to emotions is neither expressive nor repressive per se; the mindful approach is to recognize your emotions, feel them fully, and then let them go so that they don't control you or lead you to act in ways that are harmful to others. p. 111
To learn working mindfully with emotions, RAIN: p. 112
- Recognition: in the midst of an emotion, you may find that by identifying and labeling it you are not so overwhelmed by it.
- Acceptance: from the perspective of mindfulness, whatever you are experiencing is okay.
- Investigation: to investigate an emotion is to feel it in your body, discovering how it manifests itself.
- Non-identification: it means not taking your emotions so personally, having some space around them. With it, you have come to the point with your emotions where they have stopped being your emotions that are causing you so much suffering and become instead the emotions - that is, something that is passing through you ("energy in motion").
The mindful approach: don't get on the train [of thoughts]. p. 184"
Fully present: the science, art and practice of mindfulness
