Mindfulness as the Key to Well-Being: A Review of Literature

Objective: This study aims to examine the view of the practice of mindfulness as a important factor for wellbeing. Methods: An extensive systematic electronic review (Google Scholar, EBSO, JSTOR, ProQuest Science, Science Direct and Research Gate, NCBI, PsycINFO) using key words ‘Mindfulness’, ‘Hinduism’ ‘Buddhism’ and ‘Well-being’. Results: 150 published studies from 1984 to 2014 were obtained out of which 20 are reviewed. Conclusion: Mindfulness has been recommended in several scripture and religious texts as a key aspect for well-being of self. This conclusion can be validated using the various programs studied in current research that provide empirical evidence to support the statements found in the early literature. There is a need to develop a standardized training procedure for mindfulness and test it across various age groups.