Dhyana in Hinduism is commonly translated as meditation. It is the method by which one attains Samadhi, which is a state of meditative consciousness where the mind becomes very still and merges with the object of attention. Vipashyana or Mindfulness is an open monitoring meditation that finds mention in the Vedas. It refers to awareness, along with the insight about reality - impermanence, suffering and no-self. It has been popularly applied in modern times for stress management and improving well-being. Individuals who are more mindful tend to act more consistently with their own values and therefore tend to be happier. But, of course, the two are inseparable. A strong sense of self is vital to values-based action, since people with lower self-concept clarity may not even really be sure of their own values. Mindfulness can come in lots of different forms - it could be a yoga that involves mindfulness, it might involve setting aside time for mindfulness meditation sessions or it could involve practicing mindfulness during everyday activities. The point is that no matter who you are or what your daily life consists of, there is most likely a mindfulness practice tailored to you. This is a key part of the philosophy of mindfulness, whether it is practiced religiously or in a secular matter. Mindfulness is a moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment, characterized mainly by 'acceptance' or attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong. Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on its rumination on the past or the future.

Mindfulness Therapies:

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a mindfulness based program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, which uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness and yoga to help people become more mindful. While MBSR has its roots in spiritual teachings, the program itself is secular.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a psychological therapy designed to aid in preventing the relapse of depression, specifically in individuals with Major depressive disorder (MDD). It uses traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) methods and adds in newer psychological strategies such as mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. Cognitive methods can include educating the participant about depression. Mindfulness and mindfulness meditation focus on becoming aware of all incoming thoughts and feelings and accepting them, but not attaching or reacting to them.

Mindfulness Based Pain Management (MBPM) is a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) providing specific applications for people living with chronic pain and illness. Adapting the core concepts and practices of MBSR and MBCT, MBPM includes a distinctive emphasis on the practice of 'loving-kindness', and has been seen as sensitive to concerns about removing mindfulness teaching from its original ethical framework.