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38 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Understanding this connection
between mindfulness
and compassion has been
transformational, helping me
embrace myself and my experience
with greater kindness and care.
It has also deeply informed my
clinical and academic work. In my
writing and research, I’ve explicitly
articulated a model of mindfulness
that includes the attitudes of
how we pay attention. Instead
of trying to control or judge our
experience, we take an interest
in it with attitudes of compassion
and openness. We are cultivating
awareness, yes, but it is important
On the fourth day, I met with a The monk explained to me to acknowledge the human
monk from London, who asked that mindfulness is not just dimension of that awareness. It is
how I was doing. It was the first about paying attention, but also not a sterile, mechanical awareness.
time I had spoken in four days, and about how you pay attention. Rather, it is a kind, curious, and
out of my mouth came a deluge of He described a compassionate, compassionate awareness.
the anxieties I had been carrying kind attention, where instead of
around with me. “I’m a terrible becoming frustrated when my mind Research has started to
meditator. I can’t do it. I am trying wandered, I could actually become document empirical evidence
so hard, and every time I try curious about my mind meandering of this connection between
harder, I get even more tangled up. about, holding this experience mindfulness and compassion,
Meditation must be for other, more in compassionate awareness. consistently finding over the past
spiritual, calmer kinds of people. I Instead of being angry at my mind, two decades that mindfulness
don’t think this is not the right path or impatient with myself, I could increases empathy and compassion
for me.” inquire gently and benevolently into for others and for oneself.
what it felt like to be frustrated or
He looked at me impatient. For example, in my first research
with compassion and a humorous publication, published in the Journal
twinkle in his eye. “Oh dear, you’re In this way, I began to cultivate of Behavioral Medicine in 1998,
not practicing mindfulness,” he told kindness toward myself, as well as we found that Jon Kabat-Zinn’s
me. “You are practicing impatience, a sense of interest and curiosity for eight-week Mindfulness-Based
judgment, frustration, and striving.” my lived experience. I started to Stress Reduction (MBSR) program
Then he said five words that practice infusing my attention with significantly increased empathy in
profoundly affected my life: “What care and compassion, similar to a medical students.
you practice becomes stronger.” parent attending to a young child,
This wisdom has now been well saying to myself, “I care about you. Another study that my colleagues
documented by the science of I’m interested. Tell me about your and I conducted, published in
neuroplasticity, which shows that experience.” the International Journal of Stress
our repeated experiences shape our Management in 2005, concluded
brains. that MBSR training increased