A mind you can count on: validating breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness
Frontiers in Psychology October 24, 2014 Daniel B. Levinson, Eli L. Stoll, Sonam D. Kindy et al. 297 citations
A behavioral measure of mindfulness, breath counting, was validated across four studies involving over 400 participants. Breath counting was reliable, correlated with self-reported mindfulness, distinguished long-term meditators from age-matched controls, and was distinct from measures of sustained attention and working memory. Greater skill in breath counting was associated with more meta-awareness, less mind wandering, better mood, and greater non-attachment. A randomized online training study found that four weeks of breath counting training improved mindfulness and decreased mind wandering compared to working memory training and no training controls. These findings support breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness.