Written by Kirsti Formoso, MSc. Transpersonal Psychology, BSc. Psychology

Everybody’s heard of mindfulness; it’s a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in wellness circles. It’s touted as a powerful remedy for stress, depression, anxiety and many other mental health problems. But few people realise the power of mindfulness on the spiritual path.

As a mindfulness teacher and practitioner, transpersonal psychologist, and someone who’s experienced the benefits of profound spiritual awakenings, I’m going to give you a fresh perspective on mindfulness and why you should make mindfulness a part of your daily life and a staple on your spiritual journey.

INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware of your current experience. It is an innate human ability, a quality we already possess. And yet one that we seem to have lost contact with. The good news is that mindfulness can be cultivated through mindfulness training and practices like meditation.

The practice of mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. In mindfulness and presence, we become the witness to whatever arises in our lives. That includes events outside us as well as internal events such as thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, a renowned expert in the field, defines mindfulness as “awareness arising from paying attention on purpose in the present moment,” emphasising the importance of consciously paying attention as a core aspect of mindfulness.

Practising mindfulness can lead to a range of mental health benefits, including:

Reduced anxiety and depressive thoughts
Improved emotional regulation
A healthier outlook on life
Increase compassion
Increase forgiveness
Increase gratitude
Foster benevolence toward oneself and others.

That’s a pretty impressive list! But the benefits extend far beyond mental well-being. Being a transpersonal psychologist, I’m also interested in the benefits of mindfulness on the spiritual path and how it can pave the way for spiritual awakening. This is the secret: mindfulness makes our minds fertile for spiritual awakening. It helps us develop the ability to perceive life more from a higher self vantage point. It helps us distinguish our egoic patterns so that we can differentiate between what is ego and what is the higher self.

The term ‘mindfulness’ derives from the Pali word ‘sati’, a significant element of Buddhist traditions which reminds practitioners to remember to observe. Mindfulness, first and foremost, is a spiritual practice with benefits on the spiritual path that few even talk about.

This article will delve into both the mental well-being aspect of mindfulness and its role as a secret tool on the path to spiritual awakening and beyond.

BECOMING A MINDFULNESS TEACHER

I had been practising Hatha yoga in the style of Sivananda and Vipasana meditation for many years before mindfulness hit the scene. And, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t interested in mindfulness at all. To me, it was just the latest trendy buzzword in self-help and personal development circles full of empty promises. I reckoned that as fast as it climbed to popularity, it would disappear.

But it didn’t, it stuck around, and clients started asking me about it. I had nothing to tell them. So, eventually, I had to investigate what all the hype was about.

I went to a local taster for a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. Shock, horror, I was impressed! I loved it! The teacher made a strong impression on me; she was lovely, kind, gentle, honest, authentic and, most of all, not pushy. She knew all about Vipasana, and we hit it off.

MBSR is a well-known program that teaches mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. The teacher informed me that it was closely linked with Vipasana. I signed up there and then for the course, completed it and signed up for the next one. For the next couple of years, I’d drop in on her classes regularly.

The MBSR mindfulness course was completely aligned with my understanding of the mind and spirituality. MBSR blends psychology and spirituality perfectly. It’s a most powerful course for overcoming the mind, taking back control of an unruly inner narrative, and making your mind fertile for spiritual awakening.

In fact, my first mystical experience happened during a mindfulness session.

I trained to be a teacher.

Why? Because I recognised that mindfulness is a key discipline on the spiritual path. And it's an easy access route. The state of mindfulness leaves our minds fertile for spiritual awakening. If you're serious about your spiritual journey, I highly recommend getting serious about mindfulness. Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you read an article or two and downloaded an app, you're practising mindfulness.

WHERE DID MINDFULNESS COME FROM?

Mindfulness was inspired by the Vipasana 10-day silent retreat program. Vipasana requires that you cut ties to the rest of your life for ten straight days. Actually, a little longer, you arrive on day 0 and leave on day 11. It's quite a commitment that not everyone can take on. But it's powerful.

John Kabat-Zinn committed, experienced the benefits and saw that his patients on his ward could benefit greatly from a practice like Vipasana. Kabat-Zinn proceeded to develop a program that was more accessible, and mindfulness was born.

Kabat-Zinn first taught MBSR at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre.

MINDFULNESS AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE

As a transpersonal psychologist, I like to keep things grounded and evidence-based. You see, I don’t just advocate mindfulness off the back of my own experiences. Mindfulness is probably the most researched spiritual practice out there, but it’s been researched under the guise of a mental health intervention within clinical psychology and psychiatry.

Since the 1970s, mindfulness has gained increasing empirical attention. It has been studied as an intervention for many mental health problems and consequently integrated into mental health practices within schools, prisons, hospitals, and workplaces.

Meta-analyses indicate mindfulness has beneficial effects for healthy adults, adolescents, and children, as well as for different health-related outcomes, including psychiatric conditions and heart disease.

Mindfulness is so powerful when practised regularly that we are now seeing mindfulness training popping up in the business world, with many large corporations incorporating mindfulness practices into their culture.

Daily consistent mindfulness practice can lead to measurable changes in brain structure and overall well-being, as shown by research studies using neuroimaging techniques, physiological measures, and behavioural tests.

While there is a huge body of research showing the wellness benefits of mindfulness, more research is needed to establish the efficacy of mindfulness for certain conditions and populations. As a transpersonal psychologist, the research seems to be most lacking in its role on the spiritual path.

While it’s roots are found in Buddhism, in the West we have adopted it as a psychological tool for wellbeing. Research seems to show concern for how it can make us more spiritual. For me, that’s the whole point of mindfulness, with its wellness benefits being a wonderful side effect!

KEY CONCEPTS IN MINDFULNESS

Mindful State

A mindful state is characterised by present-centred awareness, non-judgmental acceptance, and a focus on the current moment. It is the state of watching and observing all that arises. That even includes our thoughts. As we develop mindfulness, we find that we almost change position. Instead of being the doer, we become the seer or the witness. It is from this point that we are naturally unattached to cravings and aversions. This non-attachment leads to inner peace and stillness, no matter what arises in our lives.

Mindfulness techniques, such as body scan meditation and sitting meditation, can help us cultivate a mindful state.

Kindly Witness

The kindly witness is a key concept in mindfulness. It is the place from where and as who we witness all that is arising in the present moment. This beautiful witnessing without judgment creates space in our lives from where we can choose how we respond to life, rather than living on autopilot and being reactive.

The kindly witness also teaches us self-compassion, which naturally develops compassion and empathy for others. As we start to witness our own minds, we realise that others are victims of their minds, and their inner narrative, inner saboteur, and shadows.

Open and Accepting Attitude

Mindfulness asks us to welcome life as it is. With mindfulness, we develop an open and accepting attitude to life. That doesn’t mean we have to like it or be happy about it. It doesn’t mean we have to accept everything with a smile on our face. It means that we open ourselves to what is arising; we hold a space for life to unfold.

That also doesn’t mean that we don’t take action. Of course, we take action where action is needed. It doesn’t mean we suffer intolerable cruelty or abuse. It means we are aware of what is arising, and there is space for us to respond appropriately.

MINDFULNESS PRACTICES

There are many mindfulness practices. Explore the different mindfulness practices to find the approach that best supports your needs. Whether you are coming to mindfulness for stress reduction and relaxation needs or spiritual growth and grounding on your spiritual path, there are many ways to practice mindfulness.

Body Scan Meditation

The body scan meditation is an embodiment practice that encourages us to focus our awareness on different parts of our body, often starting at the toes and moving up to the head. The easiest way to do it is to find a body scan guided meditation.

Body scan meditation practice is usually done lying down, but can also be practised sitting up. When I first started meditating, I found that I would fall asleep more if I lay down. Sitting upright, you're less likely to fall asleep.

This practice can help us develop greater body awareness, reduce tension, and cultivate a sense of relaxation. It’s a great practice to do as part of your nighttime routine. Regular practice can lead to improved sleep, reduced pain, and enhanced overall well-being.

Mindful Movement

Mindful movement is the practice of mindfulness applied to movement. If you introduce mindfulness into your gym session, Pilates workout, yoga, or running, you will easily embody your mindful practice and integrate it into your daily life. What’s more, whatever you apply mindfulness to will get better. Mindfulness encourages focus and awareness of what is arising; with this new information, you can better evolve your practice.

Mindful Moment

A mindful moment is a brief period during which an individual focuses their attention on the present, often using their breath as an anchor. Mindful moments can be practised throughout the day, during daily activities such as eating and cleaning, but also between activities as we transition from one activity to the next.

This practice can help individuals stay grounded in the present moment, so we can learn to respond rather than react, or to savour when we’re enjoying the activity.

Mindful moments can be used to reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall mental health. Regular practice can lead to increased self-awareness, improved relationships, and greater overall well-being.

For more tips, head over to my blog article: Take A Transitional Moment For A Mindful Check-in or click the link below to get your Free Presence Kit.

MINDFULNESS AND PRESENCE

As my one-to-one clients will tell you, mindfulness is not actually a favourite term of mine! To me, mindfulness always sounded like a full mind rather than the quality of being mindful. I much prefer the term, presence.

Presence has a totally different energy to it. It’s actually what the practice of mindfulness points to. Presence is being present. It’s not doing something, its just being. It’s being the presence that holds everything. It’s being the space in which everything else can arise and fall away.

Presence is what naturally unfolds when we practice mindfulness, and it is the quality that spiritual seekers on the spiritual path search for. It is the state of inner peace and wisdom.

BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS

Health Benefits

Mindfulness has been shown to have a range of health benefits, including reduced stress, improved sleep, and enhanced overall well-being.
Regular mindfulness practice can lead to improved emotional regulation, increased self-awareness, and greater resilience to stress.
Mindfulness can help individuals recognise that some fear reactions are disproportionate to the threat, thus reducing the fear response.
Mindfulness can also help individuals develop healthier eating habits, improve their relationships, and enhance their overall quality of life.
Regular mindfulness practice can lead to increased body awareness, reduced stress, and improved overall health benefits.
Mindfulness practices have been associated with the development of psychological resilience, helping individuals facing trauma or chronic stress to regulate emotions and strengthen adaptive coping mechanisms.

MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS

There are so many benefits from mindfulness that interventions are being developed in numerous areas such as juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, education, clinical psychology, athletics, and politics.

Mindfulness training, through structured programs, is designed to develop mindfulness skills across various populations, including students, healthcare patients, and professionals.

The two main mindfulness programs widely available to the public are Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). These programs are evidence-based, supported by scientific research and validated by studies from reputable institutions. They’re ypically delivered over eight weekly sessions with daily home practice.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR was designed to help people manage stress, anxiety, pain, and illness through mindfulness practices. However, it has much wider applications and will benefit anyone who wants to develop personally and spiritually.

It combines mindfulness meditation, gentle yoga, body-awareness exercises, and group discussions to cultivate nonjudgmental present-moment attention and reduce psychological and physical suffering.

MBSR includes daily homework and a full-day retreat to build lasting skills for everyday life.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

This evidence-based, group-based program combines mindfulness techniques with cognitive-behavioural therapy to treat mental health conditions, such as preventing the relapse of depression, but anyone can do the course. It teaches participants to recognise early signs of depressive thinking patterns and to respond to them with non-judgmental awareness, breaking cycles of rumination and negative thought spirals.

MBCT emphasises present-moment focus and decentering from unhelpful thoughts to foster emotional resilience.

MINDFULNESS ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH

With the West’s focus on mindfulness as an intervention and remedy for all kinds of personal and societal ailments, its spiritual benefits are totally overlooked. Which is so funny to me. Because for me, mindfulness is first a spiritual practice. It was born out of Buddhism!
As a spiritual practice, mindfulness trains the brain. It literally re-wires the brain and disciplines the mind. It teaches the mind to be still, which is the same end goal of meditation. But mindfulness is hands down the easiest meditation practice out there.

But why is it one of the most powerful spiritual practices you can adopt? For me, spirituality isn’t just about reaching enlightenment; it’s about orienting ourselves towards our absolute self every day, all day, in a healthy, authentic and balanced way. And for that to happen, we need to be fully aware of our subconscious, conscious and superconscious dimensions. Mindfulness helps on all three levels. That’s why it’s the king of Inner Work Practices. So let’s break down why mindfulness is so powerful on the spiritual path.

Subconscious Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness increases our awareness of ourselves in any given situation. The more we practice mindfulness, the more we start to see when our shadow selves are acting up, when we’re triggered, and when we’re reacting to life instead of responding.

While there are billions of adults in the world, most people engage with the world through their inner child. We are like big children. You even see this in the world arena of politics; it always looks like a playground to me. A bunch of big kids fighting and arguing, totally unaware that they are projecting childhood issues on the world. We’re all guilty; we do it at work and in our intimate relationships, too.

But mindfulness exposes all this dysfunctional behaviour. It asks us to be honest with ourselves, to notice when we’re acting inappropriately, and to take a better course of action. Mindfulness gently coaxes us without judgment to be well-functioning adults while at the same time helping us heal past wounds.

Conscious Benefits of Mindfulness

I classify mindfulness as a conscious practice. It’s a practice we do in the present moment to develop how we engage with life in the present moment. Its fundamental result is the development of present-moment self-awareness, a quality essential to healthy spiritual development.

In that present-moment self-awareness, we can observe our stance. We can see whether we are acting from our egoic, relative selves or from a more non-dual, absolute, higher self. We can hold a space for what is arising, which gently nudges us into the position of the absolute self. I know that this can be difficult to comprehend if we haven’t had a profound spiritual awakening, such as a mystical experience or kundalini awakening, but stick with me, it's not important if this distinction between relative and absolute self is confusing. Just know you’re working towards spiritual awakening in a healthy way when you practice mindfulness.

After a profound spiritual awakening, mindfulness keeps us grounded and aware of our egoic nature, protecting us from spiritual bypassing and dark nights of the soul. It can also help us cope with spiritual crisis.

Superconscious or Transcendent Benefits of Mindfulness

The power of mindfulness practice to still our minds is gold. When our minds are still, they are fertile for spiritual awakening. We know this from research into psychedelics. Contrary to what we intuitively think is happening, psychedelics reduce neural firing in the brain. Psychedelic compounds actually still the mind enough to make it fertile for a psychedelic-engendered mystical experience. This is the nexus of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

On the spiritual path, mindfulness stills the mind. It’s as if it creates enough space and stillness that we can connect with something deeper. Behind the chaos and noise of the busy mind, we find our transcendent selves, our higher selves. We connect to something in ourselves that is far more fundamental and enduring than the relative self; we find our absolute self.

Discipline in mindfulness paves the way to spiritual awakeing and glimpses of enlightenment.

MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

The thing I love about mindfulness above all other spiritual practices is that you can practice it anywhere, anytime. That’s why I encourage all of my clients to learn mindfulness. It is the most powerful practice for making headway on your spiritual path. And it’s so accessible and easy that developing a practice is realistic and sustainable, and therefore, will have transformational effects on your life and spiritual path.

Applying Mindfulness to Daily Activities

Mindfulness can be practised in a variety of settings, including at home, in the workplace, and in nature. And it can be applied to various aspects of everyday life, including work, relationships, and daily activities such as eating and walking. When I worked on super yachts, work was very repetitive, so I used my work as a chance to practice mindfulness. You can literally practice mindfulness all day long.
Try practising mindfulness when you're cleaning, cooking, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or going up and down stairs. Practice mindfulness when you need to move from one room or location to another to get something. I assure you, you'll never forget what you went to get again.
Mindful movements, such as yoga, tai chi, and even walking and running, can cultivate greater body awareness and reduce stress.
Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, can reduce stress and increase emotional regulation. You can use mindful muscle relaxation to reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, increase relaxation and aid sleep.
Regular mindfulness practice can lead to increased productivity, and more accurate perception and faster perception so using it at work can be really powerful.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Establishing a Regular Meditation Practice

Establishing regular mindfulness practice is the only way to cultivate a mind that lives in the present moment. There are two types of mindfulness practice;

Formal Practice

Formal mindfulness meditation practice means taking time out of your day to sit and meditate. Practices like body scan, breathwork, and Tai Chi fall in this category.

Registering for an 8-week mindfulness program can support you in establishing a regular practice because there’s a homework element to the evidence-based programs. Alternatively, register for a regular class so that you’re at least practising formally once or twice a week. Creating a bedtime routine that includes a body scan is another easy way to establish regular practice.

Many people find themselves fighting with their mind, saying I haven't got time. Set yourself a 2-minute formal sitting practice. No one can argue with that!

Informal Practice

Informal practice is active mindfulness; this practice can be done alongside any activity you are engaging in throughout the day. So, as I said before, you can practice while you're cleaning or making a cup of tea.

Obviously, informal practice is easier to practice because you don't have to find extra time in the day. But it can be difficult to remember to do it. An easy solution is to stick post-it notes next to the kettle, or on the mirror where you brush your teeth.

Set anchors for establishing mindful practice for certain activities. For example, one of my anchors is opening and closing the shutters. I open them in the morning, and I close them at night. They remind me to practice mindfulness. Walking to your car, locking the front door, being in an elevator, and standing in a queue are all things that can serve as anchors to remind you to practice. Eventually, new neural pathways form, your brain associates elevators with being in a mindful state, and you no longer have to remind yourself.

If you set enough anchors in a day, you'll be mindful all day long.

MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAMS

If you would like to learn mindfulness properly, I highly recommend doing the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program in person. The courses are offered worldwide. If that is not possible, find an online course taught by a teacher you really resonate with. These courses are still very powerful, providing accountability, personalised support, and group energy.

While there are mindfulness apps and self-taught online programs, I highly recommend taking one of the routes above if you are serious about learning mindfulness and developing present-moment self-awareness. Apps and self-taught courses are for the merely curious and are unlikely to develop a powerful practice.

I teach the evidence-based 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program originally designed by John Kabat-Zinn. If you would like to learn more about my program, feel free to use the Stay Informed and Connected form below to find out when it’s next running.

Commit to an 8-week MBSR course, and you'll never look back. The program teaches you many techniques and provides a framework for accountability. Over the eight weeks, you will develop a regular practice and begin to experience the benefits of mindfulness for your well-being. You’ll also be well on your way to having profound spiritual awakenings. It won't be the easiest thing you've ever done, but it will be worth it.

Mindfulness and Spirituality: The Secret Tool on The Spiritual Path

INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS

BECOMING A MINDFULNESS TEACHER

WHERE DID MINDFULNESS COME FROM?

MINDFULNESS AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE