Jon Kabat-Zinn, founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, writes in his groundbreaking book Full Catastrophe Living:
"Simply put, mindfulness is moment-to-moment awareness. It is cultivated by purposefully paying attention to things we ordinarily never give a moment's thought to. It is a systematic approach to developing new kinds of control and wisdom in our lives."
In 2011, Kabat-Zinn gave two public presentations at Dartmouth to introduce mindfulness meditation and how it is being incorporated into a wide range of clinical programs in medicine and psychology as well as in personal lives. The presentations, hosted and sponsored by the Tucker Foundation and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, included a lecture titled "The Healing Power of Mindfulness: Living as if Your Moments Really Mattered" and an all-day retreat in Rollins Chapel entitled, "A Day of Mindfulness Practice and Dialogue."
"I got involved in mindfulness because my level of general anxiety was interfering with my wellbeing and performance in school. As a result, I've discovered a discipline that has helped me in my day to day life. I stay involved because I think this is truly a vital practice for everyone, regardless of religion or belief. I also want to spread awareness to others so they can reap the benefits." - Dartmouth Student, Class of 2014