Sit back, relax, and make sure you don't listen to the ♥♥♥♥♥♥' eagles, man.

By Rev. GMS

As the mindfulness movement[en.wikipedia.org] spreads there are bound to be some Dudeists who would like to learn mindfulness meditation as a way to find abiding through its practice. However there are a lot of misleading claims about the science of mindfulness, and a lack of context for students looking to learn how to maintain a state of abiding awareness. Much like the claims made by snake oil salesmen of the past, claims about the effectiveness of mindfulness can be a bit over inflated. Also the way mindfulness is being marketed to the affluent in our society, it seems to be becoming a fad that promises peace of mind and riches. Stripped of context mindfulness may even be being used by corporations to sedate and calm their overworked employees, basically saying “you can’t have a vacation, but we’ll teach you how to cope with that.” Mindfulness when coupled with context, such as in the context of Dudeist abiding, can be a beneficial addition to any Dude’s life. But when mindfulness is devoid of context, and marketed for the wealthy, or used to pad a company’s bottom line, then we are looking at the greasy fat of McMindfulness[www.huffingtonpost.com].

Mindfulness is the non-judgmental awareness and acceptance of one’s thoughts, emotions, and reality in the present moment. Based on Buddhist mediation practices the modern concept of mindfulness is the product of secularized Buddhist mediation techniques with nearly all “religious” overtones removed. Mindfulness teaching has been shown to aid in overcoming stress, improving concentration, and leading to more life satisfaction, such as Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction[www.umassmed.edu], started in 1979. MBSR’s success is supported with around 35 years of evidence, both anecdotal and hard data. Many researchers conclude, in not so many words, that mindfulness practice can help to keep you chill and joyful in life.

Read the full article here.[dudespaper.com]