Abstract
‘Being mindful’ implies that the mind is full. “Full of what?” one may ask. Awareness of what is occurring in the present moment within one’s self (e.g., recalling a previous encounter with the upcoming patient; feeling tired) as well as of others (e.g., noticing that the patient enters the examination room leaning on a cane), and the setting (e.g., a waiting room full of patients). Mindfulness involves specific attitudes such as “openness” toward what is happening, curiosity, patience, perceptual clarity, and the complementary abilities of focusing and shifting attention. In the context of medical practice, mindfulness has the potential to foster healing [1]; how this may occur and its application to the twenty-first century health care paradigm described in this book are considered in this chapter. Given that mindfulness is an innate universal human capacity that allows for clear thinking and open-heartedness, it fits the overarching goal in medical practice to cure disease when possible and alleviate suffering in a compassionate manner.
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Dobkin, P.L. (2011). Mindfulness and Whole Person Care. In: Hutchinson, T. (eds) Whole Person Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9440-0_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9440-0_7
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