Mindfulness / Meditation

Mindfulness (practice with the MP3's below)

Mindfulness can be described as a calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself.  Psychological "mindfulness", broadly conceptualized, has been thought of as a kind of nonelaborative, nonjudgmental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling, or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted as it is.

Bishop et al (2004) has proposed a two-component operational definition of mindfulness:

The first component involves the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment. The second component involves adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance.

Mindfulness practice, inherited from the Buddhist tradition, is increasingly being employed in Western psychology to alleviate a variety of mental and physical conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety and in the prevention of relapse in depression and drug addiction.

CAPS offers several mindfulness based groups and workshops for students, faculty and staff members of Rutgers in New Brunswick/Piscataway.  Please contact the main office on College Avenue at 732-932-7884 for information on current mindfulness based group and workshop offerings.

Progressive Relaxation

This is a muscle relaxation exercise which focuses on various muscle groups within the body in order to heighten awareness of where stress accumulates within the body, and to promote a state of calm and relaxation.

Breathing Exercise

This is a relaxation exercise which focuses on breathing in order to promote a state of calm and relaxation within the body.

Meditation

Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth. 

Mindfulness Meditation Excercises (MP3's):

We have recorded several meditation excercises for you to practice with.  Check them out below.