What is Mindfulness?

This article examines what mindfulness is, but you can also download my Introduction to Mindfulness…

Mindfulness is a shift in attention from being lost in thought to being aware of our present moment experience.

Normally, we get so lost in our thoughts about reality, that we are not fully experiencing it. When practising Mindfulness, we deliberately direct our awareness to observing the breath, the body, the senses and the mind. By paying attention to the body, the breath and the sights and sounds going on around us, we draw attention away from our thoughts and feelings and learn to observe them without getting lost. This is something you have to experience in order to understand, but it is incredibly enjoyable and brings a sense of freedom and joy to life.

Mindfulness brings our attention into the ‘here and now’, which means that we are focussed on our experience now. This brings what Eckhart Tolle calls “freedom from time”, which means that you stop worrying about the past (although you can still learn from it) and you don’t stress about the future (although you can still plan and prepare). Living in this way frees an enormous amount of energy and allows you to experience life in all its richness.

It is amazing that, once we drop the struggle with reality, the world seems to be a much more pleasant place. When the noise in our minds begins to quieten down, we can experience the world without so much mental background noise, which leaves us free to experience the peace that comes when we are anchored in the present moment. The aim of this website and of Peace Through Mindfulness, is to spread that peace to as many people as possible through articles and mindfulness classes.

For a simple introduction to mindfulness, check out my new book, “Mindfulness Plain & Simple.”

What mindfulness is not:

Mindfulness is not a philosophy, a religion, or a set of ideas, it is a state of awareness in which we focus on our present moment experience.  Mindfulness does not have a set of rules, commandments or edicts, it is an open, curious approach to life. This website is not aligned with a particular tradition or teacher, although you will find links to some teachers from which I have learnt.

Who are you?

My name is Oli Doyle and I am a father, welfare worker, mindfulness instructor and Acceptance and Commitment Therapist who lives in Bendigo, Australia. I have devoted the last seven years to studying the inner workings of my own mind through Zen meditation and mindfulness practice utilising the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie. Through this practice and through my work in the welfare field, I have seen the immense peace and joy that can be experienced through meditation and mindfulness. I am not a guru or an enlightened master, but a simple person who has some skill in guiding people in mindfulness and explaining the mental knots we tie in a clear, concise fashion. I am also trained in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

I am the author of “Mindfulness, Plain & Simple”, which is a clear, concise explanation of mindfulness as I teach it.

For more information on mindfulness, you can go back to the main page or check out some articles.