Photograph Getty
Mindfulness has been the big mental wellbeing buzzword of the past few years. All about bringing your attention to the present moment and concentrating fully on whatever you’re doing – whether that’s washing up or walking to the bus stop – it’s been shown to help with stress and anxiety, and boost happiness levels. You may have even tried some mindfulness meditation – simply sitting still and focusing on your breathing.
But some experts have reservations about the way mindfulness can be used in the West. Dr Stephen McKenzie, lecturer and researcher in psychology and author of new book Heartfulness (Exisle, £12.95), argues that something’s been lost in translation. ‘Mindfulness has become extremely popular because it’s the natural antidote to the damaging side effects of modern living – more stress and less community,’ he says. ‘But the focus has come to be very much on our minds, occasionally our bodies, and not at all on our hearts. Modern mindfulness doesn’t fully connect us with others or ourselves. And, it’s been packaged as a stand-alone technique, rather than a living component of the great human help systems it came from.’
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August 2016
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