Many guided meditations are available online and there are also a number of apps that are readily available. Some people prefer a repeated silent phrase (called a mantra), or a set of rhythmic, simple movements, or enjoy being guided through a meditation by verbal instructions and reminders from a teacher or an audio track. The movement of breath into and out of the body is a very popular initial focus of attention in mindful meditation as it is always present and involves just enough bodily movement to keep one interested. However, complete awareness of the present is very often easier to achieve by paying particular attention to one aspect of it, at least initially, so the two kinds of meditation are intertwined. Meditation can be classified as concentration meditation, where there is one particular focus, such as a sound, or as mindfulness meditation where the focus is on all aspects of the present moment. Meditation is sometimes described as 'falling awake' as a contrast to falling asleep. Mindfulness is at its most acute when one is focussing one's mind entirely on it: such a state of mental focus being described as meditation. That way you can be open to your actual experience, free of preconceptions and without being distracted by your reactions to it. One might choose to be mindful in daily life simply by paying attention to current tasks, but mindfulness is usually associated with doing so with a particular attitude of curiosity, openness and acceptance. His programme famously included an exercise based on eating a raisin: a very simple task but performed with intense focus and concentration that puts all other thoughts aside. He developed a course called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts and become known worldwide after his first book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (Delta, 1991), was published. Jon Kabat-Zinn is an American molecular biologist who was introduced to Buddhism as a student and realised that the concept of mindfulness could have immense use in reducing stress.
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