IMPACTS OF MINDFULNESS ON CONCENTRATION: A SELF-REPORT OF A 20-DAY PRACTICE OF MEDITATIVE WALKING

Mindfulness is originally a concept in Buddhism and has been widely used to improve mental state around the world. Meditative walking, a type of mindfulness practice, is a widespread practice. The main aim of the research is to find how a 20-day practice of mindfulness can improve the practitioners’ concentration. A self-report method was employed. The author reflected on his practices and experiences within a total of 20 days of mindfulness practice by meditative walking at night for 20 min (from 8 to 8.20 pm) every day. He made notes on every single happenstance that he was aware of. The primary assessment was through daily monitoring of increased mindfulness and other internal and external factors influencing the practice. Findings show that regular mindfulness practice improved the concentration level. Specifically, in the first 2 days, the practitioner kept concentration for about 2–3 min. On day 5, the concentration level increased up to 7 min. It kept growing to 17 min on day 15. Furthermore, on the final 5 days, the concentration continued to grow and reached the level of 20 min on the last day. Implications of mindfulness practice for concentration are discussed.