Making sense of mindfulness

At a recent reception, we encountered a "mindfulness guru". Yes, that is the job title on his business card-one bearing the logo of a huge multinational software company. His job is to teach the company's stressed-out employees the "art of mindfulness", which has been described as "awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally" and "knowing what is on your mind".

Mindfulness seems to be everywhere nowadays. Companies like Apple, Sony, Ikea and Google now include mindfulness or meditation in their employee benefit packages, in the hope of cultivating a happier, healthier, more productive workforce. Even some hospitals offer mindfulness meditation sessions to patients and employees. And a Google search for the word yields about 67 million hits.

Extravagant claims for mindfulness have been made. Its advocates assert that it can improve a number of conditions, including anxiety depression, stress, and even drug addiction, while boosting productivity. But can mindfulness deliver on its many promises?