We would like to quote here the assumptions of mindfulness as summarised by Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, Wallach

• humans are ordinarily largely unaware of their moment-to-moment experience, often operating in an ‘‘automatic pilot’’ mode;
• we are capable of developing the ability to sustain attention to mental content;
• the development of this ability is gradual, progressive and requires regular practice;
• moment-to-moment awareness of experience will provide a richer and more vital sense of life, inasmuch as experience becomes more vivid and active mindful participation replaces unconscious reactiveness;
• such persistent, non-evaluative observation of mental content will gradually give rise to greater veridicality of perceptions; and

• because more accurate perception of one’s own mental responses to external and internal stimuli is achieved, additional information is gathered that will enhance effective action in the world, and lead to a greater sense of control

Where does it come from?

Mindfulness stems from contemplative practices from the East and the West. The call to ground oneself in the here and now is the starting point. Attempting to break the auto-pilot and take a time to pause in the midst of daily life is a common trait to many contemplative practices. Many traditions have developed practices aiming at understanding how the mind functions (thinking, feeling, reacting, judging, generating suffering, etc.). In this field, we acknowledge the substantive contribution of Buddhism to the development of mindfulness practices. The work of the Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnhis a remarkable source of inspiration for all those who wants to be in contact with a living example of a mindful way of being. The prolific work (more than 40 books) of the Nobel Peace Price nominee, vietnamese Buddhist monk, in exile in France can be access ed in all modern media forms: books, CDs, DVDs.  He leads the Buddhist community called 'Plum Village'. It is a wonderful place for a retreat also as a family with children.

Is it a religious practice?

For us, mindfulness practices the way we perform them are neither religious nor esoteric. We fully acknowledge that they come from the religious circles across all continents. The explanation is simple: these circles have allowed themselves to choose a different focus of attention in comparison to main streams in the society. They have chosen to answer life questions by giving priority to the exploration of the mind. As a result of repeated practices over 3000 years they have enabled the practitioners to reach some conclusions on the functioning of the mind, the means to observe and influence the body/mind relations. These conclusions are now carefully reviewed in the West with a scientific approach, using reliable scientific research protocols and peer debate as well as neuroimaging means to study the functioning of the brain. These studies across Europe and America prove that most conclusions reached so far on mindfulness are trustworthy even though the undercurrents are not yet fully understood. The 'why does it work' question is not yet fully answered. Still, practicing mindfulness impacts effectively and efficiently a number of parameters that can be objectively measured. Since 20 years or so, mindfulness practices are more and more used and followed outside their original religious contexts and are able to just support people to be in touch with themselves, develop a sense of belonging deep within themselves and increase their level of alertness in their life.

About the aim of the practice of mindfulness