Mindfulness meditation is quite simple, but it’s not easy.
In the beginning of this journey of mindfulness practice, the goal is to develop the ability to concentrate attention and notice the details of what is being observed. This practice of focusing the mind is done by choosing an “object of attention” — the breath, for instance — and setting the intention to pay attention to it. A great aid to keep the focus on this object of attention is to be interested in it, investigating it with curiosity — with a so-called “beginner’s mind” — exploring the physical sensations of breathing, and discovering them anew.
Now, while one is focusing, or trying to focus on the object of attention, the mind wanders. This is common, expected, and inevitable; nothing wrong there. So, when the practitioner notices that she is lost in thoughts, she is called to congratulate herself for noticing, acknowledge what the distraction was, gently release it, and bring her attention back to the chosen object of attention. Quite simple, but not necessarily easy.
This practice sharpens our noticing skills, and develops one-pointed focused attention. It brings awareness to the non-stop internal chatter — the proliferation of distracting and mostly non-constructive thoughts — and reveals how transient and impermanent thoughts are.
Once the practitioners get a good understanding of this practice and develop the ability to retain focus for some time, they are introduced to an expanded, and more encompassing meditation. Rather than