What Is Mindfulness, Really? And How Do You Know if You’re Doing It Right? | Diana Winston

Mindfulness is a word that is in danger of becoming meaningless. In this episode, we dig into the meaning of mindfulness, how to practice without getting overwhelmed, and how to stop the judgment spiral.

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Today’s guest is Diana Winston, the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. She has written several books, including The Little Book of Being, and Fully Present, the Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness, which she co-authored with Susan Smalley, and which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Diana has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1989, including a year as a Buddhist nun in Burma. 

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In this episode we talk about:

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• How Diana defines mindfulness
• How we know if we’re in a state of bonafide mindfulness
• The difference between mindfulness as a trait and mindfulness as a state 
• Whether you have to meditate to achieve mindfulness as a trait
• What current scientific research says about the benefits of meditation
• The link between intuition, happiness and authenticity
• Her definition of happiness
• How meditation can help us relate to our bodies differently
• How to stop the self-judgment spiral
• Creating a top ten list to deal with difficult thoughts
• How to use meditation for chronic pain
• Striking a balance between reason and intuition
• The ripple effects of practicing meditation
• And how to start practicing mindfulness without getting overwhelmed

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Additional Resources:

• Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: https://10percenthappier.app.link/install

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