I must confess that I still do not completely understand mindfulness. It is somewhat heavy and abstract, and for someone like myself, who considers himself forever mired in the stage of concrete operations, that can be a challenge. But there are things about mindfulness that I now better understand and appreciate. I understand that mindfulness is, quite simply, a way of being present for my patients and for myself. I also understand that mindfulness is a discipline. It is a way of thinking (or perhaps more accurately, a way of being), and, like any discipline or new approach, it requires training and ongoing practice. It is not as simple as a sip of wine in the evening, which may serve to dissipate the tension that has built during the day. It is better; it is a disciplined, practiced approach that enables us to deal with tension as it arises.

And now, armed with this better understanding of mindfulness, I try to incorporate it into my practice and into my own life. I also try to impart its value to our trainees, whose own stresses may be different, but are considerable. I explain to them my initial skepticism, and how even though on the surface, it might seem that it is just one more thing they have to do, it may help them cope with all those other things that overwhelm them. Somehow, as I tell them, it works. It helps me keep the focus on my patients, it helps keep the satisfaction in my work, it helps me to rejuvenate, and it keeps me sane. ~ David N. Korones