All about mindfulness: New trend that could change your life

From comedienne Ruby Wax to author-entrepreneur Arianna Huffington, everyone in the west is talking about mindfulness. In fact, last month, a study by Oxford University and University College London, UK, received a funding of £6.4 million (approximately `65.39 crore) by a globalcharitable foundation to track the effect of mindfulness on teenagers. But what really is this concept that seems to have the western world fascinated?

Dr VG Panchal, neurosurgeon, Suvidha Hospital, Ghatkopar (E), explains, “Mindfulness is the intentional acceptance and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring at a given moment, which can be trained by meditational practices as described in the Buddhist tradition.”

In simpler terms, it encourages you to focus on silence, if the aim is to calm down; or concentrate entirely on the task at hand, if you are at work, without giving into distractions. Mindfulness helps draw attention to the need to tone down on the urge to heavily multi-task.