It has been about 10 years since I first read Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are. I was drawn to the notion of increasing non-judgmental awareness of the present moment as a means to 1) gain a greater sense of control over my active mind and 2) more fully appreciate the daily experiences of my life.  At the time, my interest was personal. I had no awareness that mindfulness would eventually play a significant role in my professional life.

While my personal practice (formal and informal) often drifts from and returns to the present (much like the mind), my professional life has serendipitously allowed me to engage in the regular teaching and practice of mindfulness with DBT patients (and anyone else with an interest).

In the spirit of mindfulness (which teaches us to engage in the world with a beginner’s mind) with the hope to refresh my personal practice and professional teaching, I am re-introducing myself to mindfulness in both theory and practice. I am letting go of preconceived notions about what mindfulness is and how to practice mindfulness.

Today, I’m starting to read Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness for Beginners.

I am immensely excited to discover the gift of mindfulness for the first time…again.