Introduction 7
emotions and the surrounding environment, along with a
nonjudgmental acceptance of that experience. Rather than
consciously attempting to change the nature of your
thoughts or experiences, mindfulness helps you embrace
your experience with equanimity and allow thoughts and
feelings to pass through your mind without reacting to them.
Contemporary research supports the potential thera-
peutic value of mindfulness- based techniques for many
kinds of psychological difficulties and disorders. In fact,
mindfulness has become the basis for some psychological
treatments, such as mindfulness- based stress reduction.
There’s increasing evidence to support the effectiveness of
mindfulness- based therapies (Hofmann et al. 2010) and the
presence of mindfulness deficits in anxiety disorders
(Curtiss and Klemanski 2014b).
Mindfulness has been consistently associated with lower
rates of anxiety and a greater sense of well- being. Treatments
for anxiety that incorporate aspects of mindfulness practice
have been very successful in helping people combat anxiety.
Mindfulness- based therapies foster a certain mind- set that
promotes the use of skills for overcoming distressing think-
ing styles, increasing personally meaningful behaviors, and
f lexibly handling emotions. Widespread acceptance of
mindfulness principles within the mental health care profes-
sion has allowed researchers to figure out that mindfulness
leads to a decrease in anxiety and an increase in overall
quality of life partly because of its ability to promote helpful
emotion regulation.
Over time, and as you incorporate mindfulness into your
life, it will very likely bring about long- term changes in your
mood, your sense of well- being, and your quality of life. It
can result in lower levels of unpleasant feelings and higher