How to Do Mindfulness Meditation
Learn the foundational practice of mindfulness meditation from UCLA Mindful's director Diana Winston, discovering how paying attention to present moment experiences with openness and curiosity can reduce stress and anxiety, increase self-awareness, and help you show up more fully for life instead of living on autopilot.
Introduction: Why Mindfulness Matters
Meet Diana Winston, who has taught meditation for 30 years, as she welcomes you to discover mindfulness—a practice that can impact stress levels, help with anxiety, build positive emotions, work with difficult emotions, and provide overall understanding of your body, heart, and mind.
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Introduction: Why Mindfulness Matters
Meet Diana Winston, who has taught meditation for 30 years, as she welcomes you to discover mindfulness—a practice that can impact stress levels, help with anxiety, build positive emotions, work with difficult emotions, and provide overall understanding of your body, heart, and mind.
0:42
Understanding Mindfulness: From Autopilot to Presence
Explore Diana’s definition of mindfulness as paying attention to present moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and willingness to be with what is, learning how this practice takes you out of autopilot (where life passes by unnoticed) into connection, gratitude, and appreciation, while understanding the difference between mindfulness as a meditation type and as a quality of attention, plus discovering the science-backed benefits for anxiety, depression, stress, pain, and emotional regulation.
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Guided Practice: Learning to Anchor Your Attention
Experience your first mindfulness meditation guided by Diana, learning to find a comfortable posture, scan your body for tension, then choose an anchor (breath in abdomen, chest, or nose, or listening to sounds) and practice the essential skill of noticing when attention wanders and gently bringing it back — not as failure but as the practice itself—developing concentration, calm, and present moment awareness.
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Building Your Practice: Integration into Daily Life
Receive practical guidance for establishing a sustainable meditation practice — starting with just five minutes daily at whatever time works for you (morning, after work, before bed, even in your car), finding a regular spot, and understanding that real results show up not in perfect attention to breath but in how the practice affects your life: more kindness, less reactivity, greater presence with loved ones, and spontaneous moments of mindfulness arising throughout your day.
03:03Related Readings
Thich Nhat Hanh on How Mindfulness Nurtures Joy
Not all habits are bad. Happiness is a habit too, says Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Here’s how you can make it grow.
3 Ways to Uncover Your Natural Awareness
Diana Winston on three ways to bring natural awareness into your mindfulness practice — and your life.