Mindfulness as care of the self

Mindfulness is a concept that recently became a subject of many various researches and studies. Mindfulness in schooling was also the subject of two international conferences that took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2016 and 2017, for which the author of the present book prepared two lectures. Author's main intention is to argue for the idea that mindfulness practices are a valuable contribution to a progressive schooling, however, they should not be understood in a reductive manner. The idea of the present book is that mindfulness has meaning not only for improving the quality of life of individuals, but could change the lives of communities in the way of enhanced solidarity and the care for the common good (living mindfully cannot exist without ethical and political commitments of individuals). The thesis of the book is that such positive societal changes (leading to a more emancipated, just and empathic societies) based on mindfulness practices could be reached only if mindfulness is understood as contemplative living complemented with critical thinking and social engagement where mindful individuals co-create conditions for a more humane and empathic culture.