Mindfulness is the skill of paying attention to your mind- not so much to the content of your mind, but bringing your full presence of mind to the awareness of that content. In one sense, mindfulness is distraction control. By applying mindfulness, the content of your mind can arise more slowly and you can learn to quiet the distractions of your mind. Having a quiet mind is a legitimate goal of treatment. However, the absence of distractions and other negative states of mind is not the same as happiness. Most psychotherapies do not focus on happiness but focus instead on psychopathology, maladaptive behaviors, and negative states of mind (what is wrong with how someone thinks and acts). Positive states of mind are often an afterthought, with the primary work being labeling (making a diagnosis for insurance companies) and identifying the negative states. The best psychotherapies integrate equally reducing the negative states and then, when appropriate, creating positive states of mind. Choosing the most appropriate task to your immediate need is crucial. Many people try to bypass the difficulties in their life and move directly into Positive states by the use of Eastern methods (mindfulness, meditation, etc.) Meditation can be very helpful for some people to help them relax, but there is more. A log can sit very still on the log pile for years, but at the end it is still a log. Intelligence and direction must be brought to a Mindfulness or Meditation practice for greater understanding of how our minds work to fully utilize that knowledge.
