MINDFULNESS - A NEW SKILL?

Since the far off days of being a teenager, I've practised 'mindfulness', although I didn't realise that I was doing anything special at the time. Half a century later, this process would become almost a buzzword or popular meditational coping strategy in many of today's frenetic, stressful and anxiety-prone situations. 

But what is mindfulness in today's strange world of rush and bustle?  Well, the experts tell us that it 'is the process of developing the skill of bringing one’s attention to whatever is happening in the present moment'. With a very long interest in yoga and my current admiration of disposition of several new Buddhist friends, somehow, mindfulness seems to fit into the picture and is so helpful when anticipating prospective difficult situations - presenting a talk to a couple of hundred strangers, or, indeed, giving birth! 

Mindfulness is simply a way of paying conscious attention to your feelings and thoughts that are running through your mind without criticising them. I feel it is  considering what you are feeling in this very moment - not worrying about the past or future.  I'm told it has been used effectively by  professional counsellors to help those suffering from chronic pain and long-term conditions.  This is not a religion and is open to anyone who might gain a measure of peace. A useful book is  :-