Developing Mindfulness

Overview of Practice

Mindfulness is not a destination but a returning—again and again—to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and compassion. In the Christian contemplative tradition and in broader meditative practices, mindfulness offers a gentle, steady way to become more fully alive to God’s presence, the sacredness of now, and the movements of one’s own soul. The process is less about striving and more about abiding—resting in awareness, without grasping or resistance.

The fundamental components of a mindfulness practice include:

Intention to Cultivate Awareness: Every spiritual discipline begins with intention. In mindfulness, we set the intention to awaken—to become aware of what is happening in the mind, heart, and body, without trying to change or resist it[¹].
Returning to Peripheral Awareness: Peripheral awareness refers to our background sensing of the environment and body. We gently return to this space when the mind wanders, reconnecting to stillness[²].
Attention to the Present Moment: Mindfulness anchors us in now. It is a practice of presence, recognizing that the only moment we truly live in is this one.
Observing Thoughts, Feelings, and Sensations: The mind thinks, the heart feels, and the body senses. Mindfulness creates a witnessing space in which all three can arise and pass without interference or control[³].
A Non-Judgmental, Interested Attitude: We adopt a posture of curiosity rather than criticism, a key component of what Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn calls “beginner’s mind”[⁴].
Accept All Thoughts, Reject None, Hold Onto None: Nothing is denied or suppressed. Instead, we allow each thought or sensation to pass like clouds in the sky—acknowledged, but not clung to[⁵].

Preparing for Practice – 5 Minutes

Creating a sacred atmosphere can transform an ordinary moment into a space of encounter. The preparation phase helps to transition from distraction to receptivity.

1. Prepare the Room and Relax

Light a Candle: The lighting of a candle is an ancient gesture, symbolizing the light of Christ and our intention to be illumined from within[⁶].
Listen to Music (Optional): Gentle, meditative music can support the softening of the heart and help still the chatter of the mind. Consider instrumental sacred music or chant.
Top-to-Bottom Body Scan: Begin at the crown of the head and slowly move your awareness downward, softening each area—scalp, jaw, shoulders, chest, stomach, hips, legs, and feet. The goal is not to analyze but simply to notice and relax[⁷].
Deep Breathing: Breathe in deeply through the nose and slowly out through the mouth. Each breath signals to the nervous system that it is safe to rest. Deep breathing is central in activating the parasympathetic system, promoting calm and presence[⁸].

The Meditation – 30 Minutes

This meditation consists of two parts, designed to move from alert external awareness to deeper interior stillness.

Part One: Open-Eyed Awareness

Keep Your Eyes Open and Be Still: In this phase, allow the eyes to rest in a soft gaze. The goal is stillness without effort—a receptive, wakeful state.
Bring Your Attention to the Object of Meditation: Mindfulness: Let the word “mindfulness” rest gently in your awareness. You’re not analyzing it, only opening to what it means in your body and spirit.
Separate from Attachments: Let go of identifying with passing thoughts or feelings. They are not who you are. This detachment echoes the biblical call to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2)[⁹].
Pay Attention to Peripheral Awareness: Allow awareness to extend outward and inward at once—the feeling of air, the hum of the environment, the aliveness of the body.
Unite with a Three-Fold Awareness:
- Thinking: Notice mental activity—ideas, memories, future planning.
- Feeling: Observe emotional tone—joy, sadness, neutrality.
- Sensing: Tune into bodily sensations—warmth, tension, breath.
By integrating these, we honor the wholeness of our humanity, rather than fragmenting it.
Feel at One with All Creation: Open the heart to the reality that we are part of a divine whole. As St. Paul writes, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)[¹⁰].

Part Two: Breath and Inner Mantra

Close Your Eyes and Be Still: Closing the eyes can support deeper inward focus. Let all distractions fade into the background.
On each breath, silently repeat the following sequence:
1. First breath – Think: “I am aware and mindful.”
2. Second breath – Feel: “I am aware and mindful.”
3. Third breath – Sense: “I am aware and mindful.”

Repeat this three-breath cycle four times, moving deeper into embodied presence with each sequence.
End the Practice and Give Thanks to Jesus: With a full and grateful heart, thank Jesus for His presence, His peace, and the stillness He grants. This ending re-centers the practice in Christ, acknowledging Him as the source of true mindfulness and spiritual rest.

Conclusion

Developing mindfulness is a gentle but powerful journey—one that helps us live more fully in the presence of God, within ourselves, and with others. It is not a skill to be mastered but a gift to be continually received. In both the stillness and the distraction, mindfulness invites us to return, again and again, to the sacred now.

Footnotes

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are (Hyperion, 1994), p. 4.
Culadasa (John Yates), The Mind Illuminated (Dharma Treasure Press, 2015), pp. 38–41.
Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson, Altered Traits (Avery, 2017), pp. 30–32.
Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living, pp. 33–35.
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness (Beacon Press, 1975), p. 18.
Joan Chittister, The Breath of the Soul (Twenty-Third Publications, 2009), p. 12.
Christopher Germer, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, pp. 73–76.
Herbert Benson, The Relaxation Response (HarperTorch, 1975).
The Holy Bible, Romans 12:2, ESV.
The Holy Bible, Acts 17:28, ESV.