Mind & support
Mindfulness
การเจริญสติ
Paying attention to the present moment, on purpose and without judgement – a form of meditation that has also become a structured secular programme.
IntensityGentle
Origin
United States (secular programmes), drawing on Buddhist meditation
History
Modern secular form from 1979 (MBSR, Jon Kabat-Zinn); Buddhist roots are much older
A session
Daily practice from a few minutes; MBSR classes last about 2.5 hours a week for 8 weeks
Licence in Thailand
Not required
Where it comes from
Mindfulness (sati in Pali, สติ in Thai) is a central quality in Buddhist meditation, where it is developed alongside calm and insight; mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) is one of the classic practices.
The modern secular form was shaped by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979. His eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme drew on Zen, hatha yoga, samatha-vipassana and Advaita Vedanta, but was presented without religious content. He described it in his 1990 book Full Catastrophe Living.
In the 1990s, researchers John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Mark Williams adapted MBSR into Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), combining mindfulness with elements of cognitive behavioural therapy to help prevent relapse in recurrent depression; their core text was published in 2002.
The principle
Mindfulness means keeping attention on what is happening right now – body sensations, sounds, thoughts and feelings – without judging them. Thoughts are treated as passing mental events rather than facts to argue with or push away.
It can be practised formally, by sitting and returning attention to the breath, body or sounds, and informally, by noticing everyday activities such as eating or walking. The aim is not to empty the mind but to notice more clearly and respond rather than react.
What people come for
- Managing everyday stress
- Noticing worry and rumination sooner
- Feeling more present in daily life
- Building a short, regular self-care routine
- Learning a structured method in a group course (MBSR or MBCT)
- Improving the quality of rest
How it works on the body
Mindfulness trains attention to rest on sensations, breath and thoughts as they happen, which can change how you respond to them.
A session, step by step
- 01
Arriving
A short pause to sit comfortably and notice how you feel right now.
- 02
Breath awareness
Attention rests on the breath; when the mind wanders, you notice and gently come back.
- 03
Body scan or movement
A guided body scan or gentle yoga stretches, as used in MBSR.
- 04
Open awareness
Attention widens to sounds, thoughts and feelings as they come and go.
- 05
Sharing
In group courses, participants briefly discuss what they noticed with the teacher.
- 06
Home practice
Courses usually ask for daily practice at home, often with guided audio; MBSR suggests about 45–60 minutes.
Precautions
- Mindfulness is not right for everyone and can make some people feel worse; in one review about 8% of meditation participants reported negative effects such as anxiety or depression.
- If you have experienced trauma, or live with psychosis, bipolar disorder or severe depression, talk to a psychiatrist or psychologist first and look for a teacher trained to adapt practices.
- Stop if practice brings up panic, dissociation or overwhelming memories, and contact a mental health professional.
- Mindfulness does not replace conventional care or prescribed medication; tell your doctor that you practise it.
- Ask about your teacher's training and experience before joining a course.
Complementary practice: does not replace medical advice.
In Thailand
In Thailand, mindfulness (sati) is part of everyday Buddhist vocabulary and of the meditation taught in temples, where mindfulness of breathing is one of the traditional practices. A well-known centre is Thai Plum Village in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, near Khao Yai National Park, founded by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2013; it offers more than 20 retreats a year, Days of Mindfulness, sitting and walking meditation and silent meals. We did not find a Thai regulation specific to secular mindfulness teaching (such as MBSR or MBCT courses), so ask about a teacher's training.
Frequently asked questions
Is mindfulness the same as meditation?
Mindfulness is one form of meditation, focused on present-moment awareness without judgement. It can also be practised informally during daily activities.
Is mindfulness religious?
It comes from Buddhist practice, but secular programmes like MBSR and MBCT are taught without religious content.
Does the evidence show it works?
Some reviews found benefits for anxiety, depression and sleep, but long-term effects are less clear and much research is preliminary. In the UK, NICE recommends mindfulness-based therapies for less severe depression.
What is an 8-week course like?
MBSR meets weekly for about 2.5 hours, includes a day-long practice, and asks for daily home practice with guided recordings.
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