Research has demonstrated the benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and meditation for older adults, says Diane Reibel, Ph.D., Director of the Mindfulness Institute (http://hospitals.jefferson.edu/departments-and-services/mindfulness-institute/) and Clinical Associate Professor at the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (http://hospitals.jefferson.edu/departments-and-services/myrna-brind-center-of-integrative-medicine/) in Philadelphia.

“Mindfulness is actually what the word says—the mind is full of what is happening in the present moment. There are certain attitudes that one holds, or begins to develop, in addition to just focusing attention on the present moment: attitudes of curiosity, attitudes of care, attitudes of not judging and criticizing so much. So it’s a very receptive, open-type of awareness and attention in the present moment,” she says. “Ultimately, it really is a way of being and a certain way of living with more openness.”