Despite a few sceptical and very negative party poopers and
detractors around the globe, mindfulness has well and truly come of age, proved
itself, and received formal recognition both in the halls of medicine and in the
corridors of power.
On 20 October 2015 the United Kingdom
became the first country in the world to publish an all-party parliamentary
report on mindfulness.
The Mindful Nation UK report is the result of a 12-month inquiry by
the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness into how mindfulness training
can benefit UK services and institutions.
The report's recommendations include: (i) commissioning mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in the NHS for the 580,000 adults at
risk of recurrent depression each year, in line with National Institute For
Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines; (ii) creating
three mindfulness Teaching Schools (to be selected by the Department of
Education) to pioneer mindfulness teaching in schools; (iii) training
government staff in mindfulness, especially in the health, education and
criminal justice sectors; and (iv) researching
the use of mindfulness training for offender populations in the criminal
justice system.
Jenny Edwards CBE FRSA, Chief Executive of
the Mental Health Foundation said:
'The Mindful Nation UK report comes at a pivotal time for mindfulness and for action on mental health. The evidence tells us that, properly taught, the practice of mindfulness helps many people maintain good mental health and to sustain recovery after illness.
'At the same time the pressure on mental health crisis services has never been more intense. We know that three quarters of people with mental health problems do not receive care and treatment.
'We need to give serious consideration to the role mindfulness can play in helping to reduce the chances of experiencing mental health problems and to ensure that it becomes available to the communities who have the greatest risks. This has important implications for public policy. We are delighted to see a cross party consensus emerging that it is time for a fresh approach at a national level.'
'The Mindful Nation UK report comes at a pivotal time for mindfulness and for action on mental health. The evidence tells us that, properly taught, the practice of mindfulness helps many people maintain good mental health and to sustain recovery after illness.
'At the same time the pressure on mental health crisis services has never been more intense. We know that three quarters of people with mental health problems do not receive care and treatment.
'We need to give serious consideration to the role mindfulness can play in helping to reduce the chances of experiencing mental health problems and to ensure that it becomes available to the communities who have the greatest risks. This has important implications for public policy. We are delighted to see a cross party consensus emerging that it is time for a fresh approach at a national level.'
I am pleased that there are now companies
in various countries that are dedicated to promoting mindfulness in the
workplace and offer executive coaching and ethical recruitment solutions based
on mindfulness and ethical management principles to sustainable businesses and
projects. Unlike the mercenary 'big-end-of-town' companies, these companies don't only care about the 'bottom line'. They genuinely care about the welfare of people as well. They are truly compassionate. And I know this to be true---you can be compassionate and efficient and effective as well.
