Those Who Are Mindful and Those Who Make Them Mindful: Yunus Emre and Mindfulness

Mindfulness and mindfulness-related attitudes, which are gaining popularity in the counseling literature and are frequently employed in sessions by mental health professionals, reflect a universal perspective. When examined attentively, mindfulness-related attitudes seem to play an essential part in Turkish culture and Sufism, yet this perspective offered by mindfulness is sometimes misunderstood. From this perspective, the goal of this research is to investigate mindfulness attitudes through the works of Yunus Emre, an influential representative of Turkish culture and Sufism, and to address these attitudes with consideration for Turkish culture and Sufism.

The document analysis method was chosen for the study as it is one of the methods used to objectively reveal how the concepts and ideas in the documents relate to the perspectives on the subject under examination. During the procedure, two significant works left behind by Yunus Emre (Risâletu'n-Nushiyye and Divan) were examined. A coding and categorization system was developed, and content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Many expressions, teachings, and inferences reflecting mindfulness-related attitudes were found in Yunus Emre’s verses. The examples were interpreted within the framework of the concept of mindfulness-related attitudes.

It is believed that approaching mindfulness-related attitudes with sensitivity to Turkish culture and Sufism will make it easier for Turkish and Muslim clients to adapt to mindfulness-based techniques and treatment processes, internalize mindfulness-related attitudes, and become more open to these methods. In light of the findings, recommendations were offered to field practitioners and researchers.

This study is not preregistered.