Buddhist mindfulness involve cultivating a clear and focused attention on your experiences, thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations as they arise, without getting caught up in them or reacting to them.
Buddhist Mindfulness
How I Went Full Circle
About 20 years ago, I moved to Asia to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and immerse myself in Zen Buddhism. What I didn't know then was that it would be a journey that led me right back to my roots.
My journey was a bit like that of Santiago, the shepherd boy in the novel, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Santiago, dissatisfied with his life as a shepherd, has a recurring dream of finding a hidden treasure in Egypt. He travels to Egypt and, after many adventures, returns home only to find the treasure he was seeking buried in the exact place where is dreams began.
I haven't found any actual buried treasure but I did discover my roots. At a stopover in Hong Kong, I bought a book on homeopathy, and as I read it on the plane I realized that I had found my calling. The homeopathic college I studied at had a strong Christian leaning so I never delved into Zen Buddhism as strongly as I had intended to.
Many of the concepts of Eastern mindfulness did however, help me enormously in my homeopathic practice. Other than mindfulness practices, I use Ayurveda regularly in nutrition and find the acupuncture points useful in diagnosis.
The Essence of Buddhist Mindfulness
Imagine you have just climbed your way up through the twisty roots of a huge Bodhi tree and are now sitting in a comfortable spot under its huge leafy branches. As you sit there, eyes closed, you wonder what Buddhist mindfulness is all about.
Essentially, mindfulness from a Buddhist perspective is about paying close attention to what's happening right now without judging it. It's being a curious observer of your thoughts, feelings, and everything around you, accepting it all.
One important idea in Buddhist mindfulness is impermanence. That means everything—your thoughts, your feelings—they come and go. To really get it, you just watch how your mind and body keep changing. It's like seeing firsthand that nothing stays the same forever.
Then there's the idea of non-attachment. Instead of holding on tight to the good stuff and pushing away the not-so-good stuff, you let it all be. No labels like "good" or "bad," just watching things without getting all tangled up in judgments. It's a way to be kind not only to yourself but to everyone else in the big picture of life.
In a nutshell, Buddhist mindfulness is like taking a journey to really understand yourself and how things work. Look inside, stay in the present moment, and you start to see that everything and everyone is connected. It's like your own personal mindfulness adventure under the Bodhi tree.
Easy Buddhist Practices
Buddhist mindfulness can be very complex and take years to master. So I have selected a few practices that are gentle and relatively easy for anyone living with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. Each practice is simple to learn, easy to adapt to your energy level, and offers lasting benefits for body, mind, and spirit.
Anapanasati Breathing
Walking Meditation
Walking slowly and deliberately, you bring attention to each step and the sensations in your body. For those with fibromyalgia, even gentle movement can feel challenging, but practiced mindfully it becomes grounding rather than draining. Walking meditation encourages pacing, balance, and a steady awareness of the present moment.
Tonglen
Tonglen involves breathing in the pain and struggles of yourself or others, and breathing out relief, kindness, and peace. While it may sound intense, the practice often lightens emotional burdens. It can transform feelings of isolation into connection, helping you relate to suffering with openness rather than resistance.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
This practice cultivates a gentle, heartfelt wish for well-being—first for yourself, then for others. Repeating simple phrases like “May I be safe, may I be at ease” helps soften self-criticism and loneliness. For those living with chronic illness, metta creates an inner atmosphere of compassion and acceptance.
Books on Buddhist mindfulness that I've enjoyed
A handful of Quite by Thich Nhat Hanh is written for children but its simplicity and wisdom is relevant for adults as well. J teaches young readers how to find inner peace through the power of mindfulness. Highly recommended for cultivating mindfulness from an early age.
In Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Shunryu Suzuki explores the fundamental principles of Zen Buddhism, including mindfulness, meditation, and the concept of "beginner's mind" — approaching life with openness and curiosity.
Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a straightforward guide to mindfulness and meditation. This book provides step-by-step instructions, explanations, and practical advice for developing mindfulness in daily life.
Zen Mind, Zen Horse by Allan J. Hamilton explores the connection between Zen philosophy and horsemanship, using horses as a metaphor for deepening mindfulness and developing a harmonious relationship with oneself and others.
I’m Dr. Rodger Douglas, DMH, a South African-born homeopath now based in Osaka, Japan. With a psychology degree from Nelson Mandela University and a diploma from the Hahnemann College of Heilkunst, I specialize in holistic care for fibromyalgia. I serve clients by phone or video across the US, Canada, the UK, and beyond, shipping remedies directly from Japan.