Novice mindfulness practitioners also engage in "informal" practice as they learn to observe their own thoughts and sensations and explore a new stance as a nonjudgmental observer of their own life.
Novice mindfulness practitioners also engage in "informal" practice as they learn to observe their own thoughts and sensations and explore a new stance as a nonjudgmental observer of their own life. Attending to one’s own experience may set up a dynamic cognitive interaction that can facilitate a capacity to respond to ongoing experiences as if they are occurring for the first time, typically referred to as "beginner’s mind." This interrupts the automatic processes of relying on previously conditioned stress reactions. Paradoxically, positive changes seem especially likely to occur when one can let go of the struggle of trying to change or control the process. This perspective lies at the core of empirically validated acceptance-based intervention model. A focus on the present moment can potentially help decondition habitual reaction patterns and increase response flexibility. From a cognitive perspective, this suggests that viewing present circumstances as new and unique experiences increases one’s capacity for generating multiple alternative response options. Mindfulness also may address cognitive-behavioral factors, such as self-focused attention, experiential avoidance, and perceived control. [29] [30]