Right Mindfulness & Right Concentration Of The Eightfold Path

Right Mindfulness & Right Concentration Of The Eightfold Path

If I were to define Zen Buddhism, I would do so in two four-word sentences:

 

Absolute attention is prayer.

Compassion for all beings.

 

“Zen teaches nothing. It merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach; it points. The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect. The truth of Zen is what turns one’s humdrum life, a life of monotonous, uninspiring commonplaces into one of art, full of genuine creativity.” – D. T. Suzuki

 

Let’s review the Four Noble Truths before we begin our exploration of the Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration practices of the Eightfold Path. I define all the elements of the Eightfold Path as practices, because this is not a philosophy. It’s a way of living your life, which entails your active participation and practice. 

Summary of the Four Noble Truths

 

The Buddha simplified the solution to the problems of the human condition into what he called the Four Noble Truths.

 

The First Noble Truth simply stated that human suffering is inevitable. There is suffering. To be human is to suffer. We all experience it.

 

The Second Noble Truth identified the causes of suffering: craving, delusion, and ignorance.

 

The Third Noble Truth was the critical step. The Buddha taught that since there was an identifiable cause for suffering, then there had to be an identifiable method for ending human suffering. That method was the Fourth Noble Truth.

 

The Fourth Noble Truth was the path to the end of suffering, what the Buddha called the Eightfold Path. The Fourth Noble Truth was a systematic approach to the end of human suffering—the dispelling of ignorance and the liberation of the mind. This is the Eightfold Path.

 

Related article: The Eightfold Path: Guidance For Life’s Challenges

 

Right mindfulness

 

Mindfulness is one of the eight practices of this path. It’s the one element of the path unifying and informing all the others. Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “When Right Mindfulness is present, the Four Noble Truths and the seven other elements of the Eightfold Path are present.” All together the eight practices are:

 

Right Mindfulness

Right Concentration

Right Thought

Right Understanding/View 

Right Action

Right Effort

Right Livelihood

Right Speech 

 

“There exists only the present instant; a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday, and no tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago, and a thousand years hence.” – Meister Eckhart

 

Mindfulness is always now. The reality of your life is always now and to realize this, and experience it, can be liberating. But we spend most of our lives forgetting this truth—overlooking it, running from it, repudiating it. And for the most part, we succeed. We somehow manage to avoid being happy while struggling to become happy, chasing one desire after another, ignoring our fears, grasping at pleasure and seeking to avoid pain, and thinking incessantly about how to keep the ball going so that we don’t fall apart! It consumes our every waking moment. Sound familiar?

 

As a result, we spend our lives much less content than we might otherwise be. We fail to appreciate what we have until we’ve lost it. We crave experiences, material objects, relationships, only to become unsatisfied or bored with them. Being happy or wishing we could be happy all our lives is illusory. 

 

Right mindfulness of daily miracles

 

Existence is yin and yang, suffering and joy, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, etc. But with Right Mindfulness we can learn to lessen our pain and experience joy. And we can turn our suffering into compassion and joy. Despite our suffering, even on bad days there are daily miracles for us to notice and to fill us with delight. 

 

The problem is twofold. First, we are not grateful for what we have and the experiences we encounter throughout the day. When we are grateful for the daily miracles that life offers us then we begin to feel joy. Secondly, we are so focused on our own problems, we are so bored by our mundane lives that we don’t recognize the myriad of gifts that come our way.

 

So to appreciate what our lives have to offer we need to be awake—we must be mindful. We can’t be grateful for what we don’t notice. With practice we find that meditation or mindfulness practices make our ‘ordinary experiences’ extraordinary. I, myself, have found that meditating, whether walking or sitting, allows me to rest both my mind and body. It’s taking time out from ‘doing’ and switching to ‘being’ mode—simply letting go and following the music of my breath and my own beating heart.

 

How can we become aware of all the miracles of life if we don’t even notice them, if we’re caught in a continuous loop, ruminating on the past, and fretting over the future?

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There’s no fighting in this practice

 

In the beginning, when we practice meditation, there’s no chasing after concepts, but simply focusing on our breath and embracing silence and resting. And when thoughts or emotions arise, simply embrace them with your breath, and gently let them go. 

 

It’s essential to know that there’s no need to struggle—there’s no fighting in this practice. Be kind to yourself, you are trying your best. With every mindful breath and every mindful step, you are beginning a journey to live a good life with meaning. You are beginning on the Eightfold Path. The goal is not to chase after dogma and concepts or seek ‘enlightenment’. In Zen Buddhism, the Path, itself, and helping others who are also on it, is the goal.

 

“The true journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having fresh eyes.” – Marcel Proust

 

Mindfulness has become a commonplace practice these days and is used in hospitals, substance abuse recovery groups, in the workplace, and by professional athletes. It’s practiced in completely secular settings and the literature on its psychological benefits is now substantial. There’s nothing esoteric about mindfulness. It’s simply a state of clear, nonjudgmental, and undistracted attention to the contents of consciousness, whether pleasant or unpleasant. 

 

Right mindfulness requires great courage

 

Critics of mindfulness practice maintain that practicing meditation is simply ‘navel-gazing’: a passive enterprise that engages in wishful thinking and is simply a waste of time. However, there’s nothing passive about mindfulness. In fact, it requires an immense effort on one’s part.

 

Rather than engaging in wishful thinking, it requires great courage, for it entails standing in the ground of our own lives without running away from our own problems and shortcomings, without trying to project ourselves into a better strategic future, without resisting ‘what is’ in favor of ‘what should be’. Once we begin to perceive our lives more clearly and the problems that we, as humans, inevitably face, we can find better solutions to our own problems and ways to overcome our own shortcomings.

 

We are all struggling; none of us have gone far.

Let your arrogance go and look around inside–

The blue sky opens out farther and farther,

The daily sense of failure goes away.

The damage I have done to myself fades,

And a healing light seeps through the cracks

When I sit firmly in that world.

You are not alone. 

 

Right Concentration

 

Eventually, by practicing Right Mindfulness, we develop an ability to concentrate, to focus our attention. Then, and only then, can we practice compassion by combining attention with intention for going beyond mindfulness to moral experience. This practice is called loving-kindness meditation. Love is not just a feeling, but an ability. And if it’s an ability, we can practice it. 

 

If we have someone in our lives who is going through a very difficult illness, we say, ‘May this person be loved and protected, happy and healthy.’ You can say it for yourself, too. We need to be compassionate towards ourselves. We can say it for our families, our loved ones. Eventually, we expand our circle of love to more and more people, even to those we do not know. 

 

I live my life in ever-widening circles

That reach out across the world.

I may not ever complete the last one,

but I give myself to it.

Rilke

 

When I first moved to Seoul, South Korea to teach, I became very claustrophobic on the subway. It was so crowded. If I was lucky enough to get a seat, I would wedge myself in between two people and take a quick glance around me at the tension on people’s faces. I would then close my eyes, and practice loving-kindness with a calm smile on my face. I would think over and over, ‘May everyone on this subway car today be loved and protected, happy and healthy.’ It helped me. It actually became a part of my daily routine. But the most remarkable thing was that when I opened my eyes, I could see and feel that a lot of the stress was gone from people’s faces. Some people would even smile at me. Psychiatry has a term for this phenomenon: emotional contagion.

Memento mori life tracker

Right concentration and insight meditation

 

Along with loving-kindness meditation, we may also begin to cultivate Right Concentration by practicing vipassana or what is often called ‘insight meditation’. 

 

My teacher would refer to vipassana as ‘looking deeply’. He also would refer to the ‘energy’ of mindfulness, or to shine the light of mindfulness on something. This used to confuse me, until I realized that he was referring to concentration—the ability to focus our attention on something inside or outside of ourselves for clarity—for insight. 

 

Full disclosure: My teacher was and still is Thich Nhat Hanh. I have never met him but his teachings, his writings, and his poetry were a guide for me in a time of darkness. He has passed away now, but his teachings live on. And he would be the first person to tell you that eventually you need no teacher but yourself. Don’t get caught up in dharma talks, dogma, charismatic teachers, claiming to be ‘enlightened’. Live in the present moment and have compassion for all sentient beings. There’s an old Zen aphorism that says: ‘Do not mistake the finger pointing at the moon as the moon itself.’

 

Related article: Thich Nhat Hanh & The Zen Practice Of Stopping

 

With the simple practices of sitting and walking meditation, one can learn to concentrate, to focus. With this ability to practice Right Concentration, we can look deeply into ourselves to identify our suffering, what has caused it, and how we can best alleviate it. Often, there are no quick answers, or certitudes. Sometimes, it’s enough to accept the mystery of life itself.

 

Let things take their way

 

In Western culture, we are always looking for logical answers to all of life’s questions. In university, whether writing an essay for history, philosophy, or the social sciences we must begin with an argument. We have to repudiate the work of someone else. If we write a master’s or doctoral thesis, we have to defend it against a group of professors. The study of literature is not the appreciation of brilliant literature but literary criticism.

 

In the teachings of Zen Buddhism, a teacher or master, tells stories, leaving the onus on the student to understand the teaching for themselves. A student once complained to his master: ‘You always tell us stories, but you never reveal their meaning to us.’ The master replied: ‘How would you like it if I gave you fresh fruit and then chewed it for you?’

 

When we come to Buddhism, we’re generally in a hurry for answers to all our questions and get caught up in concepts: the meaning of impermanence, emptiness, no-self, etc. It’s best to be patient with yourself. Go at your own pace as you walk the Eightfold Path.

 

Where did my life come from?

Where will it go?

Even the present moment

Can’t be pinned down.

Everything changes, everything is empty 

And in that emptiness, this ‘I’ exists 

Only for a little while.

How can one say anything is or is not?

Best just to hold these little thoughts.

Let things simply take their way

And so be natural and at your ease.

– Ryokan 

 

Harmonizing intention with attention

 

By ending our search for precise answers and by relinquishing our need to defend against and control external factors, we free up cognitive bandwidth. We open our hearts and minds, creating the conditions favorable for Right Concentration. We need this receptivity and clarity to practice Right Concentration—to harmonize our intention with attention.

 

Usually, we wake up in the morning reinvigorated with good intentions. We start our week afresh each Monday feeling motivated to tackle the challenges that lay before us. Classically, we mark January 1st as a day imbued with fresh intentions. But, in all of these cases, we often fail to sustain our intentions. So what goes wrong? 

 

The antithesis of Right Concentration is distraction. We fail to manifest our intentions because we allow all kinds of thieves of attention to enter our conscious experience. In fact, we often deliberately welcome them in the form of entertainment, discursive engagement on social media, and unchecked sensual pleasure. 

 

Zen Buddhism teaches that our innate nature is one of stillness—clear and undisturbed, transparent and reflective, like the mirrored surface of a pristine lake. Naturally, we are like an uncarved block of wood, unaltered by the whittling of distraction. 

 

Right Mindfulness is the spotlight that illuminates our experience. Right Concentration is the aperture we can use to focus the light wherever we choose. Right Concentration keeps distractions, grasping, and aversion in the dark, leaving us with a torch of attention that we can direct towards the truly good things in life. With it, we can illuminate all the simple beauty often abundant in our lives: a fridge full of food, the changing colors of nature, a long car trip with the people we love most. We can illuminate our breath in sitting meditation with the intention to simply experience our existence. We can shine our awareness on thoughts of love and peace for ourselves, our loved ones, and for all beings. We can shine it on our body with the intention of softening, slowing, stopping.

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Meditation is the training ground 

 

For Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration to permeate our daily experience, we must train the muscles of mindfulness. This is done through meditation. 

 

Mindfulness meditation isn’t easy. Practice is the only thing that can lead to success. As every meditator soon discovers, distraction is a pervasive condition of our minds—whether wandering off into daydreaming or falling into negative states of mind. Meditation is a technique for waking up. The goal is to come out of the spell of incessant thinking and to stop reflexively grasping at the pleasant and recoiling from the unpleasant, so that we can experience a mind of equanimity undisturbed by worry.

 

How to meditate

 

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect, either in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion.

2. Take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or floor. Notice any sensations associated with sitting—pressure, warmth, tingling, etc.

3. Gradually become aware of the sensation of breathing. Pay close attention to where you feel your breath the most—the nostrils, mouth, or the rising and falling of your abdomen.

4. Allow your attention to rest in the sensation of breathing. You don’t have to manipulate your breath. Your breath will take care of itself. Is it shallow or deep? Does it change as you settle in or don’t settle in, whatever the case?

5. Every time your mind wanders (which will be every few seconds), gently return your attention to the breath. Don’t judge yourself harshly for failing to hold your attention on the breath. There is no fighting in this practice. Be kind to yourself. You’re doing your best.

6. As you focus on the process of breathing, you will also perceive sounds, bodily sensations, and emotions. Don’t push them away. Simply observe these phenomena as they appear in your consciousness and then return to the breath.

7. The moment you notice that you have been lost in thought (this is mindfulness), observe the present thought (I have been lost in thought) as an object of your attention. Then return your attention to the breath or to any sounds or sensations arising in the next moment.

8. Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, even thoughts themselves as they arise, change, and pass away.

     

    Success is not measured in terms of what is happening to us, but by how we relate to what is happening. Not paying attention keeps us in an endless cycle of wanting, of longing. We move on to the next thing because we aren’t cognizant of what we already have. Inattention creates an endless need for stimulation for us to feel alive! We can easily fall into addictive behavior.

     

    His life is a pursuit of a pursuit forever

    It is the future that creates his present

    All is an interminable chain of longing

    – Robert Frost

     

    When our lives feel like an endless chain of longing, usually the first link in the chain is not being fully present. Concentration is what breaks the chain. Learning to deepen our concentration allows us to look at the world with calm and equanimity and begin to feel at home with our body and mind and with life itself. 

    Your true home

     

    With right mindfulness and concentration, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment. No one can take it away from you. When we stop speaking and thinking and deeply enjoy our in- and out-breath, we arrive at our true home and we can touch the wonders of life. When you breathe in, you bring all yourself together, body and mind: you become one. Equipped with that energy of mindfulness, you may take a step. And if you can take one step, you can take another and another.

     

    “Once you’re facing in the right direction, all you need is to keep walking.”

     

    With insight you realize that you are alive. Your true home is a solid reality that you can touch with your hands, feet, and mind. In your daily life, your body and mind often go in two different directions. You’re in a state of distraction; mind one place, body another. Your body is putting on your coat, getting what you need for your day, and your mind is preoccupied—caught in the past and the future. But between the mind and body there is something that can bring them together: your breath. 

     

    And as soon as you go home to your breath with awareness, your mind and body come together very quickly. While breathing in, you don’t think of anything; just focus your attention on your in-breath. Become your in-breath. Suddenly you find that you are alive and fully present. Joy and happiness can only be experienced with right mindfulness and concentration.

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    How To Stay In The Present Moment

    How To Stay In The Present Moment

    I’ve never met anyone who was trained in mindfulness at an early age. Have you? I wonder if they have to try as hard as those of us who were introduced to mindfulness in adulthood. I wonder if they struggle with distractions or if they have emotional outbursts. For those of us who do struggle with these things, I believe the effort to live mindfully is worth the prize. There’s so much wonder and exquisite beauty hiding within all kinds of mundane experiences. We just don’t see it because we’re rushing from task to task or we’re blinded by distractions pulling at our attention from all directions. It takes effort and dedication to stay in the present moment, but it also takes some forethought. This is why I decided to share this list of 10 ways to stay in the present moment. 

     

    10 Ways To Stay In The Present Moment 

     

    Learn to recognize the signs that you’ve lost the present moment 

     

    Mindfulness and meditation are practices of wavering back and forth between full awareness and distraction. Undivided, unfaltering focus is not something we can achieve. The skill of mindfulness is the ability to restore focus once we’ve lost it. We practice returning to the present moment, over and over, until gradually we find ourselves living in the moment more often than not. 

     

    To do this, it’s essential to be able to recognize when we’ve lost touch with present moment awareness. Without acknowledging that you’ve lost sight of the trail, it’s impossible to find your way. 

     

    We should learn to recognize the signs and conditions indicating that we’ve lost touch with the present moment. Common ones include: 

     

    • Rushing 
    • Thoughts of the future
    • Thoughts of the past
    • Lack of awareness of your physical environment

     

    On this last point; you don’t want to approach a busy intersection with cars rushing from all directions while thinking ahead to your next big idea. You want to be fully aware of where the curb’s edge is and whether or not the green walk sign is lit. But we must also be aware of our surroundings in less dangerous situations. When you step outside for a coffee break, here, too, you should be fully focused on the fresh air, the sunlight, the sound of birds singing, and, above all, the fact that you intend to rest. 

     

    Create cues to stay in the present moment 

     

    With some practice and dedication, you can turn ordinary objects, places, or experiences into a reminder to be mindful. One of the best ways to stay in the present moment is to simply remember to be mindful. With busy schedules and conflicting priorities, this is easier said than done. But if we designate certain things to call us back into the present moment, we can outsource some of the burden to remember to the power of habit. 

     

    “Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.”

    ― Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation

     

    For example, through intention and repetition, I’ve turned water into one of my cues to be mindful. This means when I drink a glass of water, I do so with full mindful awareness. When I wash my hands, I do so slowly, taking a deep breath. When I wash dishes, I am mindful of my movement, attempting to make it fluid and efficient. 

     

    Related article: Mindful Movement Is A Life-And-Death Matter

     

    I’ve also done this with a beaded bracelet that I wear every day. This cue is especially important for me first thing in the morning. As soon as I wake up, I reach over to my nightstand and pick up my bracelet. As I put it on, I take a moment to affirm my intention to be mindful during the day ahead. 

     

    You can turn anything into a mindfulness cue. Good cues are ones that you’ll inevitably engage with several times throughout the day.

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    Meditation is the training ground

     

    I think of mindfulness as the skill required to bring mindful awareness to each present moment—whether driving in your car, in a heated meeting, or when playing with your children. This differs from meditation, which is a targeted exercise under controlled conditions. Normally, with meditation, you dedicate a specific time, practice in a particular place, and focus on something of your choosing. Ultimately, the skills required to recognize distraction and return to present moment awareness can be strengthened through meditation. These skills then translate to the real-world scenarios in which being more present is desirable.

     

    Classic concentration meditation is especially helpful for building the mindfulness muscles—those required to lift you out of distraction and place you back into the present moment. Concentration meditation consists of simply focusing on one object. The object is typically the breath. 

     

    The breath is arguably the greatest object of focus because it’s always present and it represents life itself. The practice is to attempt to focus on the object fully. When we become distracted, we simply return our focus without getting frustrated. This repetition of noticing distraction and restoring attention builds the capacity to be mindful in all situations, not just on the meditation mat. 

     

    Related article: Concentration Meditation: Peaceful Resistance Against Invasive Tech

     

    Use nature to stay in the present moment 

     

    Nature is the ultimate cue for mindfulness. When we walk through breathtaking scenery in the mountains or along a white sand beach, we feel this intuitively. The beauty of the surroundings is compelling and it pulls us into the present moment. Urges to plan ahead are suspended. Fixations on the past are forgotten. 

     

    With some practice and repetition, we can begin to make nature, even in its less majestic forms, a powerful reminder to be present and aware. We can’t always hike in the mountains and we can’t always afford a beach getaway. But we can notice flowers. Even major cities are home to all kinds of flowers. They’re planted along the streets. They’re hanging from neighbors’ windows. If we can just take a moment to stop and notice them, then we can appreciate them while enjoying a break from worries or regrets. 

     

    Stay in the present moment by limiting distractions

     

    A simple way to think about mindful living is that we’re either attuned to the present moment or we’re distracted. If the goal is to experience more of life as it’s truly happening by staying in the present moment, then the goal is also to limit the antithesis of mindfulness, which is distraction. 

     

    In sitting meditation, our thoughts distract us. This is not only OK, but it’s also an integral part of the practice. As mentioned above, we build the capacity to be mindful by ‘correcting’ for our distractions and reverting to mindfulness. But this is in a controlled setting: the meditation mat. 

     

    As we’re moving about the world conducting our business and fulfilling our commitments, distractions pop up and remove us from the present moment. Distractions cost us time. They can cost us our peace by causing strong emotional reactions. As in sitting meditation, we should meet distractions with equanimity and grace and return to our intended state of mindful awareness as quickly as possible. At the same time, though, we can prevent certain distractions.

    Memento mori life tracker

    Practical tips on limiting distractions

     

    There’s an excellent book on reducing distractions called Indistractable by Nir Eyal. Here are a few practical takeaways from that book in bullet form: 

     

    • Be conscious of transitions between activities throughout the day. Gaps between tasks are often where we seek distraction.
    • Let your values guide your tasks, and always know the ‘why’ of what you’re doing. We are less susceptible to distractions when we are acutely aware of what we risk being distracted from.
    • Keep a schedule. In the schedule, book a weekly 15-minute block to review your calendar. Use this time to review the times you got distracted and develop mechanisms to prevent them from recurring. 
    • Let others know when you plan to be indistractable. Letting people know directly that you’re unavailable is half the battle.
    • Learn to identify emotions associated with intentional distractions such as TV and social media. This helps you to deal with the root cause.

     

    For more insights from Indistractable by Nir Eyal, click here to watch our short summary of the book on Youtube

     

    How to be more present with others 

     

    The wandering mind is perhaps the most prolific thief of mindful awareness. In conversation, our mind loves to scan its library of memories to come up with something that relates to what the other person is saying. While the mind is searching for things to say it’s often missing out on what the other person is communicating. Sure, it’s hearing the words and processing them, but the sounds the other person is making are but one part of the conversation. What is this person’s intention? What are they feeling? Are they suffering? Keeping the focus on what the other person is trying to communicate rather than on what they are merely saying anchors the mind. Listening deeply helps you stay in the present moment, but it also leads to more productive and compassionate conversations. 

     

    “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

    – Thich Nhat Hanh

     

    Manage your thoughts about the future 

     

    I tend to think ahead. I rarely dwell on the past, and I’m grateful for that, but I do spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about and planning for the future. Much of this is not negative or harmful. The creative process starts with a plan. There are many practical matters that relate to my family’s well-being that can only be executed with planning. Of course, there are also worries. Naturally, uncertainty regarding matters of importance, such as my family’s well-being, causes me to worry. 

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    Two Stoic practices to reduce worry

     

    There are two concepts from Stoicism that help me temper this penchant for thinking ahead. The first is The Dichotomy of Control. This concept trains us to identify what is within our control and what is not within our control. For the matters outside of our control, once we’ve identified them, we’re much less likely to dwell on or resist them. Using The Dichotomy of Control as an exercise removes a lot of angst about the future, because it sorts the future into two practical categories: ‘can do something about it’ and ‘can’t do something about it’. Without this exercise, we find ourselves grappling with all sorts of matters that are simply not within our sphere of influence.

     

    The second Stoic concept that helps reduce worry is amor fati—the love of fate. This is similar to The Dichotomy of Control, but amor fati is more about heading off into the unknown with confidence and excitement rather than worry and dread. There are many future events in your life of which you are totally unaware. Life is mysterious and unpredictable. For some, this leads to a lot of worry. We must embrace the unknown and rely on our confidence and abilities to handle whatever life conjures up. We must face these unknowns when they arise and only when they arise

     

    With a healthier perspective on the future and the skills to handle both the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns of life, we create more space for ourselves to reside in the present moment. 

     

    Stay in the present moment through the five senses 

     

    In Buddhist traditions, there’s an emphasis on the five bodily senses. They are seen as the gates through which much of our experience passes. This makes perfect sense. We become aware of a tree once we see it. We become aware of a fire once we smell the smoke. When we understand that our conscious experience is largely shaped by what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch, we can begin to connect intentionally with our senses to remain in the present moment. 

     

    But normally we don’t do this. We walk around absorbing all kinds of experiences through our sense gates without mindfulness. We just let stimuli enter our experience without acknowledging where they came from or how they make us feel. 

     

    Practice bringing mindful awareness to your senses one sense at a time. Simply acknowledge what you’re experiencing through that particular sense without any judgment. Practicing like this builds a more mindful relationship with the senses, which not only allows us to stay in the present moment, but it also lets us be more selective with what we choose to see, hear, taste, smell, or touch.

    Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something 

     

    There’s always an object of focus in mindfulness practice. We can be mindful of the act of brushing our teeth. We can be mindful of our movement as we’re moving from one room to another. This is what makes mindfulness so compatible with daily life. Being more aware of what we’re doing allows us to do those things better. I don’t believe that we should practice mindfulness as a performance-enhancing protocol, but I am grateful for the fact that it typically leads to better performance. 

     

    It’s useful to identify the areas in your life in which you’d like to be more mindful. The Eightfold Path from Buddhism is helpful for categorizing broad areas of life into smaller chunks so that we can direct our focus towards them more intentionally. 

     

    If you’re fighting with a loved one, Right Speech of The Eightfold Path is a useful target for your attention. If you’re allowing work to take over all aspects of your life, Right Livelihood comes to mind. When you can’t stop thinking about someone who wronged you, Right Thought is an appropriate place to practice. 

     

    Be mindful of what makes you tick

     

    It’s also beneficial to bring mindfulness to the states and conditions that lead to poor behavior. For example, I am more prone to frustration and anger when I am too hot or too hungry. I’m working on my ability to mindfully recognize these states, because when I don’t notice them sneaking up on me, they sometimes lead to regrettable behavior. 

     

    Whether you’re using The Eightfold Path to guide your practice or not, it’s a good idea to identify a few actions or behaviors that you would like to perform more mindfully. Set little challenges for yourself and allow for at least a week to practice being more mindful of your chosen object of focus. Give yourself time to break your old habits of rushing or forgetfulness. Identifying objects of focus that deserve more of your mindful awareness is a sure way to remain more in the present moment. 

     

    Slow down and smile 

     

    This is the simplest bit of advice in this article but I urge you to take it very seriously: slow down. So much of our mindful awareness escapes us simply because we’re rushing. I struggle with this, but I’m working on it. I always feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day, so I tend to try to speed things up. But I’ve learned that this only increases my fatigue and stress. It also leads to mistakes and generally less mindfulness. 

     

    Do your nervous system a favor and just slow down. The simple act of slowing down automatically brings more awareness to whatever you’re doing, especially when you’ve been habitually rushing for most of your life. 

     

    “Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing.”

    – Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation

     

    Finally, smile, even if you have to force yourself. Never forget the infinitesimal odds that you even exist. Be grateful for life itself. In this sense, it’s not actually so much about forcing yourself to smile. It’s more about remembering to smile. There’s almost always a reason to smile hiding within each present moment. You just need to uncover it. 

     

    What does it mean to stay in the present moment 

     

    Life only truly happens in the present moment, so to stay in the present moment is to truly live. Thoughts of the past and future have their utility and meaning, so we do not want to rid ourselves of them entirely; not that this is possible, anyway. But we don’t want our experience to be dominated by the past, future, or unchecked emotions. So we should choose the middle path—embracing our natural thought patterns while striving to notice the beauty, stillness, and clarity that comes with more mindful awareness. 

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    Zen Meditation: How To Stop And Reflect For Wisdom 

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    Mindful Movement Is A Life-And-Death Matter

    Mindful Movement Is A Life-And-Death Matter

    There’s nothing like a drastic, life-changing event to test your practice. I recently became a father. Being a new parent of an infant has its ups and downs. The lows come mostly from lack of sleep, but also from second guessing everything from when, what, where, who, and why… The highs—the moments of absolute peace and joy—give me the energy to get through the lows. My practices of mindfulness and Stoicism have helped immensely through both the good and the bad. One aspect of mindfulness in particular has helped me more than anything else: mindful movement. Late Zen Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindful movement as a life-or-death matter: 

     

    “Every act must be carried out in mindfulness. Each act is a rite, a ceremony. Does the word ‘rite’ seem too solemn? I use that word in order to jolt you into the realization of the life-and-death matter of awareness.”

     

    Our ability to live depends on this

     

    I love that he uses the word ‘rite’ to describe how we should approach all physical tasks with more presence, care, and dedication. It implies that there is something special hiding within our mundane tasks and routines

     

    Having an infant has made this abundantly clear to me. My physical interactions with him really matter. They are life-and-death, in a sense. If I’m careless or distracted while holding him, then I could harm him. If I’m thinking ahead about the email I need to send while changing his diaper, then I’m missing a precious opportunity to simply be with him, to talk to him, to comfort him.

     

    Our ability to live depends on our capacity for mindful movement, because life happens while doing the dishes. Life happens while brushing snow off your car. Life happens while peeling a carrot. If we skim over these moments, we let large chunks of life pass us by. Where do they go? They’re swept away by thoughts of the past or future. We never get this time back. The remedy is not sitting meditation. The remedy is mindful movement.

     

    What is mindful movement? 

     

    Mindful movement, also known as mindfulness of task, is present-moment awareness while performing a physical movement. The object of focus is the movement itself. There are a multitude of mundane activities that can be made into beautiful life experiences if we just apply mindful movement. If we enter into physical tasks with the intention to practice mindfulness, slow down a bit, take great care with our movements, and appreciate what we’re doing, we can unlock a whole realm of experience that was previously obscured by our autopilot mode of rushing and thinking ahead. 

    This post contains affiliate links, which help us keep the blog afloat. Click here for more information.

    Women doing yoga to represent an article about mindful movement

    How to practice mindful movement 

     

    Get yourself a physical reminder that you’ll engage with almost as soon as you wake up in the morning. This will remind you of your intention to practice mindful movement throughout the day. It could be anything. It could be a small ornament that normally sits on your bookshelf. Instead, place it on your nightstand. This way, it’s there for you in the morning to serve as your reminder. My reminder is a beaded bracelet, which was a gift from my parents-in-law. Putting it on in the morning is a small ceremony. I do it slowly. I recall my intentions for the day, including the intention to practice mindful movement. 

     

    Then, select a routine morning activity to be your first opportunity to practice mindful movement. Don’t try to introduce a new activity for the purpose of this practice. Choose something that is already part of your morning routine. For me, this is my morning coffee. I prepare it slowly. I actually take time to smell the coffee as I’m preparing it. Then, as I’m taking my first few sips, I look out my kitchen window to see if I can spot any small birds hopping from branch to branch. The good thing about this particular activity (coffee) is that I’m never going to skip it.

     

    Having this reliable chance to practice mindful movement soon after waking is critical because it sets the wheels in motion for a mindful day. 

    Memento mori life tracker

    Never rush 

     

    One of the biggest hindrances to mindful movement and mindfulness in general is rushing. Personally, I struggle with this. I always have perhaps a bit too much on my plate, and I’m always looking for ways to optimize or save time. This leads me to rush. I find myself clumsily knocking things about in the kitchen because I’m moving too fast. But, at least I catch myself doing it. 

     

    In many forms of meditation, the primary guidance is to observe the breath, and when we get distracted by thought, we return to the breath peacefully. The same applies to our physical movements. When we find ourselves rushing, we simply acknowledge and return to a slower pace

     

    Rushing is not only a blocker to mindfulness but it’s also usually pointless. Sure, I may save 45 seconds by cleaning the kitchen quickly after making dinner, but then my whole nervous system is jacked up. Then, when I sit down at my computer to do some work, I’ll probably make a mistake because my mind is still racing ahead. The mistake will likely cost me much more than 45 seconds. 

     

    “Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you’re doing.”

    – Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation

     

    Don’t multitask 

     

    Multitasking is a myth. A more accurate label for what we normally call multitasking is task-switching. However, this is the most cognitively taxing thing you can do. This understanding comes from Amishi Jha’s wonderful book, which presents her research on the relationship between focus, attention, and mindfulness. The book is called Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention

     

    Expanding your mindful movement practice

     

    The foundations of mindful movement are intention and slow movement. Once you begin to feel comfortable with these fundamentals, you can begin applying this practice to all kinds of routine activities, such as: 

     

    Preparing food: Cooking is an excellent opportunity to practice mindful movement. It’s a sensual activity. Allow the fragrances and textures to pull you into the present moment. It’s an activity that we should appreciate more. We should all remind ourselves how grateful we are for a fridge full of food. 

     

    Eating: At least once a week, eat a meal without distraction. Chew slowly. Really enjoy the food. Sometimes, I like to do this with a cheat meal like a cheeseburger or pizza. This kind of food is really delicious, but not so good for me, so I can at least enjoy it mindfully as part of my practice. 

     

    Doing dishes: I can’t offer better advice than Thich Nhat Hanh’s on washing the dishes mindfully: 

     

    “Wash the dishes relaxingly, as though each bowl is an object of contemplation. Consider each bowl as sacred. Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying. Do not try to hurry to get the job over with. Consider washing the dishes the most important thing in life. Washing the dishes is meditation. If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness, neither can you meditate while sitting in silence.”

     

    Typing and clicking: Our time is spent increasingly engaged with digital information on our devices. It’s imperative to bring mindfulness to our interaction with the digital world. The internet is practically designed to distract, persuade, and influence us. A keyboard and mouse allow us to perform cognitive tasks unnaturally fast. How many misunderstood emails have been sent simply because the author’s fingers were moving faster than their mind? Slow it down. Be conscious of what you’re consuming on the internet. 

     

    Housework: Cleaning and tidying your living space can be a light and pleasant task if we take a mindful approach. Break down house cleaning into small chunks. Don’t think of it as cleaning a whole room. Clean the table. Then dust the shelves. Then sweep the floor. 

     

    Washing your hands: Water can serve as a reminder to practice mindfulness of task, whether while drinking it or washing with it. Water is refreshing. It revitalizes the body. Also, we can be grateful for the fact that we have an abundance of clean water. Washing your hands is an opportune moment for your mindful movement practice because it’s something you do many times throughout the day.

     

    Showering: I struggle with this one. My default mode in the shower is to think. I tend to get ambitious in the shower—planning and getting excited about projects. My mind tends to go everywhere except to the present moment. But, I’m working to bring more mindfulness to my showers, because the shower is the perfect place for mindful movement. We should make showering more of a self-care ritual. It’s an excellent time to relax. We can slow down and smell the fragrant soap, and massage our neck and scalp as we shampoo. We should take great care as we wash ourselves, recognizing that this is an act of care.

     

    Walking: It’s a bit unrealistic to expect to turn literally all of our walking into mindful walking. When I get up to grab a drink from the fridge, I’m probably thinking about the drink and not so much about the connection between the soles of my feet and the floor. But, when we go for a walk outside, we should attempt to walk with mindful awareness. We can focus on the connection between the earth and the soles of our feet. We can maintain an upright posture. Above all, we can slow down. Thich Nhat Hanh often urged his students to embrace the power of mindful walking. 

     

    Related: Thich Nhat Hanh Walking Meditation

    Woman doing yoga to represent an article about mindful movement exercises

    Make mindful movement a habit

     

    There is another foundation of mindful movement in addition to intention and slowing down. Memory is also a key component. Mindfulness traditions like Buddhism place great importance on memory. Memory is part of mindfulness, because without memory, we forget to practice in the first place. This is understandable. With busy lives, it’s nearly impossible to remain mindful all the time. 

     

    The power of habit lets us outsource some of the need to remember to be mindful. Creating true habits allows us to enter into mindful awareness more automatically. 

     

    You can try making some of the activities shared in this article, or other ones of your choosing, into mindfulness habits by following a widely accepted formula for building habits.

     

    The habit loop

     

    I first learned of the habit loop from Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit. The habit loop describes the working parts of all habits in an incredibly simple three-staged loop. All habits consist of a

     

    Cue: This is a prompt, stimulus, or reminder of some kind that calls us to action. 

     

    Routine: This can be a single action, but it’s usually a series of actions done in a routine order. This is the behavior you’re trying to turn into a habit. 

     

    Reward: There has to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the behavior to become a habit. 

     

    We can use this understanding to make mindful movement more habitual. Take tea, for example. Finishing the dishes after dinner could serve as the cue to make tea. Then, we can build the behavior of mindfully making the tea into a short routine. We can establish an order; first boiling the water, then preparing the tea leaves, then reaching into the cupboard for the cups. Finally, the reward can be the renewed awareness itself—the comforting feeling of actually having lived this moment. The reward can also be a nice cup of tea. 

     

    “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Don’t be attached to the future. Don’t worry about things you have to do. Don’t think about getting up or taking off to do anything. Don’t think about ‘departing’.”

    – Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness

     

    The final word

     

    Establish a morning prompt to remind you to set your intention. Remember the foundations of mindful movement: intention, slowing down, and remembering to practice. Have at least one routine activity to perform mindfully in the morning. Then, begin experimenting with your typical actions throughout the day. Can you make them more ceremonious? Is there meaning or a chance to be grateful wrapped up inside certain activities? If yes, carefully unwrap it. Use your knowledge about habit building to establish cues, routines, and rewards to make mindful movement more habitual.

     

    Finally, remember that most of us have been conditioning ourselves throughout our entire lives to perform mundane tasks while thinking ahead or behind. Mindfulness is a practice that requires some dedication, training, and effort. Despite your intentions, there will be times that you forget or fail to practice. When this happens, don’t beat yourself up. 

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    Deepen Your Mindfulness Meditation Practice

    Deepen Your Mindfulness Meditation Practice

    Mindfulness is always now. It may sound trite, but it’s true. The reality of your life is always now and to realize this, and experience it, can be liberating. But, we spend most of our lives forgetting this truth—running from it, repudiating it. We somehow manage to avoid being happy while struggling to become happy. We chase one desire after another, ignoring our fears, grasping at pleasure and seeking to avoid pain. It consumes our every waking moment. We fail to appreciate what we have until we’ve lost it. We crave experiences, material objects, relationships, only to become unsatisfied or bored with them. Mindful meditation practice is a means of connecting with now, which is perhaps the most effective remedy at our disposal for all this chasing and grasping. Whether you’re new to or looking to improve your mindfulness meditation practice, this article aims to serve as a guide. 

     

    “Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.”

    Thich Nhat Hanh

     

    Vipassana meditation: A starting point for mindfulness meditation practice

     

    Many spiritual traditions ask us to adopt unfounded ideas about the nature of reality. But not all paths require any unwarranted assumptions at all. For beginners, the recommended mindfulness technique is called vipassana meditation (Pali for ‘insight’), which derives from the oldest tradition of Buddhism, Theravada. 

    One of the advantages of vipassana is that it can be taught in an entirely secular manner—it requires no spiritual or religious beliefs. Experts in this practice generally acquire their training in a Buddhist context, with its associated Buddhist philosophy, but this technique can be taught in a completely scientific and secular manner. This is why so many psychologists and neuroscientists study vipassana practices.

    This post contains affiliate links, which help us keep the blog afloat. Click here for more information.

    Mindful meditation practice

    Neuroscientist Sam Harris writes, “The quality of mind cultivated in vipassana is almost always referred to as mindfulness and the literature on its psychological benefits is now substantial. There is nothing spooky (esoteric) about mindfulness. It is simply a state of clear, non-judgmental, and undistracted attention to the contents of consciousness, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Cultivating this quality of mind has been shown to reduce pain, anxiety, and depression; improve cognitive function; and even produce changes in gray matter density in regions of the brain related to learning and memory, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.”

     

    The key to sustaining mindfulness meditation practice is recognizing that it takes the right effort

     

    Many critics of mindfulness practice maintain that meditation is simply ‘navel-gazing’: a passive enterprise that engages in wishful thinking and is simply a waste of time. However, there’s nothing passive about mindfulness meditation practice. In fact, it requires an immense effort on one’s part and those who practice regularly cultivate a specific passion; a passion for discerning what is subjectively real in every moment. It’s a mode of consciousness that’s undistracted, accepting, and ultimately, non-judgmental.

     

    Rather than engaging in wishful thinking, mindful meditation requires great courage and dedication, for it entails standing in the ground of our own lives. We don’t run away from our own problems and shortcomings nor do we constantly project ourselves into a better strategic future. We practice non-attachment to ‘what is’ for ‘what should be’. Once we begin to perceive our lives more clearly and the problems that we, as humans, inevitably face, we can find better solutions and ways to overcome our shortcomings.

    Memento mori life tracker

    Focus on experience over thought

     

    Mindfulness meditation practice is not a matter of thinking more clearly about experience; it’s a matter of experiencing more clearly, including the arising and passing of thoughts themselves. Mindfulness is a clear awareness of whatever is appearing in one’s mind or body­—thoughts, sensations, emotions­—without grasping at the pleasant or seeking to avoid the unpleasant. It doesn’t require us to adopt any type of dogmatic cultural or religious beliefs or assumptions. It simply demands that we pay close attention to the flow of experience in each moment.

    The principal impediment to mindfulness is our deeply ingrained habit of being distracted by thought. The problem is not thoughts themselves, but failing to recognize that we are lost in thought—for most of us, all the time. In fact, thoughts can become good objects of mindfulness, as long as we recognize the experience of thinking. However, in the beginning, the arising of thoughts will become pretty much synonymous with distraction. And it can be frustrating. The key is to not judge ourselves harshly for becoming distracted, but to return diligently to our non-judgmental observation of the experience.

     

    The benefits of mindfulness meditation practice 

     

    Some people mistake meditating with simply thinking with their eyes closed. But, with practice and the proper instruction, we can begin to awaken from the dream of discursive thought and begin to see each arising image, idea, or bit of language vanish without a trace. So the benefit of mindfulness meditation is? What remains is consciousness itself, with its attendant sights, sounds, sensations and thoughts appearing and changing in every moment. Those who practice on a regular basis can attest that this evokes a certain feeling of liberation. Again, why? I think it’s because we no longer identify with every single thought, emotion, and sensation that comes along. We are no longer tethered to passing thoughts and emotions.

    If this all sounds rather confusing, welcome to the club. In the beginning of one’s mediation practice, the difference between ordinary experience and ‘mindfulness’ is not quite clear. It takes some training to distinguish between being lost in thought and seeing thoughts for what they are: passing mental formations, mostly the product of past conditioning—especially if you are prone to repetitive negative, self-defeating thought patterns. Trust me, I know of what I speak! But, with practice, mindfulness becomes a well-formed habit of attention, and the difference between it and ordinary thinking will become increasingly clear.

     

    “Eventually, it begins to seem as if you are repeatedly awakening from a dream to find yourself safely in bed. No matter how terrible the dream, the relief is instantaneous. And yet it is difficult to stay awake for more than a few seconds at a time.”

    Sam Harris

    Lost in the movie of our lives

    Mindful meditation practice affords an awareness that’s difficult to describe unless you experience it for yourself. Imagine yourself in a theater watching a movie fully immersed in the story and then suddenly you become aware that you’re sitting in a seat watching a mere play of light on the wall, watching a fictional story unfold involving paid actors. Most of us spend every waking moment lost in the movie of our own lives.

    We are the stars of our own movies, and everyone else is merely playing a supporting role. Until we see that an alternative to this state of being exists, we’re entirely at the mercy of appearances. We’re not talking about changing our understanding of reality, (that we don’t exist) or anything radical, but just being able to experience the present moment prior to the arising of thought. So we can step out of the habit of judging every single experience as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant’.

    How to improve your mindfulness meditation practice

    How to practice mindfulness meditation: The Basics

     

    1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect, either in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion.
    2. Take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or floor. Notice any sensations associated with sitting—pressure, warmth, tingling, etc.
    3. Gradually become aware of the sensation of breathing. Pay close attention to where you feel your breath the most—the nostrils, mouth, or the rising and falling of your abdomen.
    4. Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. You don’t have to manipulate your breath. Your breath will take care of itself. Is it shallow or deep? Does it change as you settle in or don’t settle in, whatever the case?
    5. Every time your mind wanders (which will be every few seconds), gently return your attention to the breath. Don’t judge yourself harshly for failing to hold your attention on the breath. There is no fighting in this practice. Be kind to yourself. You’re doing your best.
    6. As you focus on the process of breathing, you will also perceive sounds, bodily sensations, and emotions. Don’t push them away. Simply observe these phenomena as they appear in your consciousness and then return to the breath.
    7. The moment you notice that you have been lost in thought (this is mindfulness), observe the present thought (I have been lost in thought) as an object of your attention. Then return your attention to the breath or to any sounds or sensations arising in the next moment.
    8. Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, even thoughts themselves as they arise, change, and pass away.

    You are much more than your thoughts

     

    You will soon find out that mindfulness meditation practice is a discipline—a lifestyle of sorts not unlike physical fitness. But, practice makes perfect. A time will come when you will ask yourself, ‘Who is noticing this distracted state of incessant thinking?’ and you will experience a feeling of liberation from distraction and incessant worry, and one day you will no longer be compelled to act on or identify with your thoughts and emotions. You will come to realize that you are much more than your thoughts.

     

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    Mindfulness And Distraction: The Gardener Removes The Weeds

    Mindfulness And Distraction: The Gardener Removes The Weeds

    The essence of mindfulness is to shine as much awareness onto each moment as possible, and to notice the stimuli in our immediate surroundings. This beholding of the present moment, cupped precariously in our hands like water from a spring, is the closest we’ll ever come to slowing down time.

    Truly mindful moments are fleeting and ephemeral, and that’s OK. I believe it’s impossible to remain fully present all the time. Our wandering, inquisitive and worrying minds are what make us human. Our brains are a beautiful anomaly that have allowed our species to thrive.

    Moments of stillness are equally beautiful, because they remove the lens cap that is our ambition and analytical energy so we can see nature’s beauty and wonder, if even for a brief moment. 

    This post contains affiliate links, which help us keep the blog afloat. Click here for more information.

    yellow flower on black background representing blog post on mindfulness and distraction

    Simple yet splendid treasures

     

    I’m not just talking about the kind of beauty you see in national parks or in National Geographic, I’m talking about the beauty of your house cat intently surveying the rain-washed street securely from his windowsill. I’m talking about the new leaf that has recently sprung from your houseplant, or the animated laughter of a loved one emanating from the next room. These are the simple yet splendid treasures—abundant in ordinary life—that mindfulness unlocks for us.

    No matter how intermittent these moments may be, we should not falter in our steadfast effort to observe them mindfully. The effort required to pull ourselves back into the present moment is a noble one, without winners or losers. It should not be an endeavor that warrants frustration at any time, but instead, one that garners experience, insight and health.

    Mindfulness practice is exactly that—a practice. It begins with the breath. I’m sure you’ve heard that before, but it’s worth reiterating and emphasizing that the breath is everyone’s entry point into mindfulness for two reasons. First, it is always there for us to access. Secondly, it signifies life and health, and it has the power to calm us.

    Though the breath is the undeniable cornerstone of mindfulness practice, I believe that we can also use our deductive brains to promote awareness of the present moment.

    Memento mori life tracker

    The intentional gardener

     

    One way of encouraging something to grow is to extinguish that which stunts its growth or kills it. Think about the gardener who, each day, pulls weeds tirelessly from her flowerbeds to prevent the weeds from snuffing out the sun and sucking up the nutrients, to the detriment of her flowers.

    This methodical act of pulling and discarding the invasive weeds is routine for the gardener. It’s often the first thing she does in the morning. She does not become angry or weary at the sight of new weeds each day, because it is perfectly natural that new ones pop up reliably. It’s also natural that she wishes for her flowers to flourish, and thus favors their well-being over that of the weeds.

    In our garden of mindfulness, one such weed is distraction. These days, distraction is prevalent and supercharged by algorithms fuelled by our personal data, constant connectivity, and push notifications. So how can we prevent the proliferation of distraction in our garden of mindfulness?

    This is not an article about turning off push notifications, nor about abstaining from email until noon (although those are good practices). This is about taking the time and effort to understand what’s distracting you. What’s pulling you towards tension and unrest? What’s causing you to rush or become angry?

    Observe your distractions with a mindful presence and get to know them. Don’t demonize them, or worse yet, resign yourself to unspecific statements like, ‘I need to stop doing that.’ It’s likely that they are less nefarious than they are misunderstood. 

    yellow flower on blurred background representing blog post on mindfulness and distraction

    Mindfulness and distraction: Spotting the weeds

     

    What’s causing you to rush or worry? Well, it’s likely your ambition to produce good work. What’s pulling you towards tension? Well, it’s just the needle on the gauge tipping slowly towards the red line of challenge, which is not entirely bad, because we know that in moderation, challenge is a powerful catalyst for growth.

    These distracting emotions are only harmful if we leave them in the dark. We need to bring mindful awareness to our stress just as much as we need to bring mindfulness to our breath or to a budding flower. Imagine if our gardener didn’t know how to spot the weeds in her garden!

    Wanting to be accepted, the fear of judgment, tight deadlines, conflict with a loved one; these are, arguably, greater distractions from enjoying nature’s beauty than a push notification telling you about the latest sale. Yet, when we observe these things non-judgmentally, when we shed some light onto them, we see that they are actually important.

    The desire to be accepted by others is one that evolved with us as social creatures. When the desire to be accepted manifests itself as anxiety, it has simply become imbalanced. When balanced, this same need for acceptance guides our good behavior in society and promotes generosity and kindness.

    We are anxious about deadlines because they are too tight or too near, but the underlying cause is that we care about the work we’re doing. If we were indifferent to our work, we would never produce anything of value. There are usually valuable intentions buried underneath our internal distractions, and much like the gardener’s weeds, they will always return.

    A symbiotic relationship between mindfulness and distraction

     

    We must simply strive to maintain balance in our gardens, to ensure that our flowers have the space they need. This effort consists not of resisting distractions or trying to eliminate them entirely, but instead, examining them to learn their origin, their importance and when rebalancing is needed.

    My practical advice is that when you feel distracted from seeing the ordinary beauty of life around you, take 20 minutes to explore the reasons behind the distraction. You can do this in sitting meditation or with a pen and paper.

    First, identify what is causing the distraction. Then, dig deeper to understand the other side of the coin. If you’re having a conflict with a loved one, it’s fundamentally because you care about that person, and that’s better than not caring at all. Finally (and crucially), you can explore strategies to reduce, mitigate or rebalance the distraction, but don’t aim to eliminate it forever. Trying to eliminate distractions (and the emotions they cause) is like pushing against an immovable object—it will only fatigue you.

    Instead, learn to co-exist with or even befriend distractions that are pulling you away from mindfulness, as they are interconnected to all other experiences in life.

    This article was originally published on The Mindful Word blog on February 27, 2021.

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    What Is Mindfulness? An Introduction & 3 Essential Practices

    “Mindfulness isn’t difficult,” writes Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness: The Power of Attention, “we just need to remember to do it.” Both statements are true. Mindfulness isn’t difficult. And we need to remember to do it. We need to remember to practice mindfulness because life only happens in the present moment, and mindfulness is our best tool for accessing that precious, fleeting moment we call ‘now’.  If you’re wondering, “What is mindfulness?” or are just looking for a clear, no-nonsense definition, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll explore the essence of mindfulness, its definition, meaning, and why it’s so important. 

    Click the links below to navigate to specific sections or keep scrolling to read the full article:

     

            1. What is mindfulness?
            2. The definition of mindfulness
            3. The meaning of mindfulness
            4. 3 Essential Mindfulness Practices
            5. Why mindfulness matters

     

    What is mindfulness?

    Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the current moment—the here and the now—with non-judgmental awareness. When you’re mindful, you can notice thoughts, feelings, and sensations without becoming overwhelmed, reactive, or overly attached to them. This ancient practice, rooted in Buddhist traditions, has undeniable mental and physical health benefits. But we must be careful if we’re to approach mindfulness as a means to an end. Instead, we should view mindfulness as a tool for experiencing life fully. If other benefits arise, then all the better.

     

    This post contains affiliate links, which help us keep the blog afloat. Click here for more information.

    What is mindfulness infographic

    The definition of mindfulness

    When we use the term “mindfulness”, we mean the intentional cultivation of present-moment awareness. Mindfulness involves bringing attention to your current experience with openness and acceptance. It’s about making an effort to focus on the now, without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness encourages us to observe our thoughts and emotions without attaching too much significance or judgment. It’s also a practice of memory—remembering our intention to practice in the first place, and always recalling our ability to ‘reset’ when we lose focus or become distracted. And trust me, distractions and lapses in focus happen to even the most experienced practitioners of mindfulness.  

    Memento mori life tracker

    The meaning of mindfulness

    I want you to hold off on reaching for that dictionary, because the meaning of mindfulness cannot be found there. Mindfulness embodies a profound shift in how we relate to our thoughts and emotions. Practicing mindfulness fosters a deep connection with your inner self and your surrounding environment. The meaning of mindfulness lies in its ability to promote clarity, emotional resilience, and a greater sense of connection with life itself.

     

    3 Essential Mindfulness Practices

     

    1. Present-moment awareness. Redirect your attention to the present moment, allowing yourself to fully experience your thoughts and emotions as they arise.

     

    2. Non-judgmental observation. Aim to observe your thoughts without passing judgment, creating a space for self-compassion and understanding.

     

    3. Acceptance: Accept the present moment, acknowledging it without resistance or wanting it to be different.

    Three essential mindfulness practices infographic

    Why mindfulness matters

     

    Practice mindfulness for your family. Do it so that when tensions are high at home, your nervous system has been trained to see thoughts and emotions arise rather than react to them mindlessly. Practice mindfulness so that when you have a full day together with those you love most, you’re able to be truly present with them. Practice mindfulness so you’re not so attached with the notion of yourself and therefore less in need of defending yourself, causing unnecessary churn in your cherished relationships. 

     

    Embrace the present moment for your colleagues, neighbors, and the strangers you’ll encounter as you walk with them through this world. Do it so there’s one more calm, level-headed person walking around. Do it so there’s one less person whose ego and unexamined emotions govern selfish acts of self-aggrandizement. 

     

    It’s also good to hitch your motivation to practice mindfulness to something bigger than yourself, because having a higher purpose like this is more sustainable. Of course, don’t ignore the health and performance benefits, which include reduced stress and improved focus, and absolutely reap them. But to ensure you’re sustainably motivated to practice mindfulness, don’t do it for yourself. Do it for those you love. See it as a tiny drop in the bucket of making the world a better place.  

     

    “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

     

    Related article: How To Stay In The Present Moment 

    Final thought

     

    Understanding the essence of mindfulness, its definition, and meaning can help you take a step toward incorporating this practice of reaching out and touching life as it happens. As the world throws increasingly powerful and personalized distractions at you, the ability to be fully present and cultivate mindfulness is necessary to keep your eye on what’s important. Just remember: It’s a practice. It’s a lifestyle. It’s not something you read about once and then decide to implement. It’ll take a little commitment, but just keep going, because a commitment to live mindfully is a commitment to not let life pass you by. 

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