Mindfulness is all about the attitude.
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Attitudes in Mindfulness
“Meditation drops us into the plane of possibility.”
Dr. Shauna Shapiro, professor and author of The Art and Science of Mindfulness, defines the three core components of mindfulness as intention, attention and attitude. Mindful attitudes are the mindsets we bring toward the practice of mindfulness, and toward our life in general. It’s about how we pay attention to our moment-to-moment experience that’s most important.
In mindfulness, you intentionally steer your mind in the direction of healthy attitudes such as openness and acceptance as a way to develop and strengthen these qualities. This also allows the mind and body to relax and start to let go of stress. By setting the intention to practice in this way, you are priming the mind toward manifesting these mindful attitudes as opposed to forcing them in.
Self-Criticism to Self-Acceptance
World-renowned mindfulness teacher and author Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines the nine mindful attitudes as acceptance, beginner’s mind, non-judgment, non-striving, letting go, gratitude, generosity, patience and trust. Gina Biegel, author and creator of the Stressed Teens program expands on that list of attitudes to also include: compassion, authenticity, curiosity, empathy, loving-kindness, not knowing, being vs. doing, openness, forgiveness, equanimity and respect.
By activating these attitudes regularly, a critical shift starts to occur in how we relate to ourselves – we move from viewing ourselves with harshness and self-criticism to viewing ourselves, and our problems with kindness and acceptance. This shift in attitude is one of the critical ways in which mindfulness positively transforms our relationship to our stressors. When I was in my late twenties and at the height of a stressful time, what I needed most was a kind and self-accepting attitude toward myself and the stressors in my life. Finally through the practice of mindfulness, I had found a way to do that.
Just One Word
“As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than wrong with you.”
In my teachings, I invite students to choose one mindful attitude for the week, the one that calls out to them, that most resonates with what they need or most aspire to. A good indication that you have chosen the right fit is in how the word makes you feel. Ask yourself the following questions:
Does it open up and expand your mind?
Do you feel a shift and release in your body?
Reading the word, does it feel like you are taking a deep breath and letting go of the stress you have been holding on to?
The beauty of this practice is in its simplicity. So go ahead and choose just one word, one attitude per week. Write it down on a post it note, or put in as a reminder on your smart phone. Then let it go. Remind yourself each day of this word, and then notice and be open to its impact. In a stressful moment, bring in the word, invite it in and then notice how it makes you feel. You might notice a subtle shift in how you feel, a releasing, a letting go in the direction of peace. The mindful attitude I choose this week is, “acceptance,” and simply steer my mind in its direction as I remain open to what it may bring.
