What is mindfulness?
Are you ever exhausted but as soon as your head hits the pillow your mind starts racing? Have you ever driven somewhere and had no recollection of the drive there? Eaten a plate of french fries only to discover they’re demolished and you can’t remember eating them? These are mind-LESS moments that reveal the auto-pilot that can take over moments or even long stretches of our life.
I sometimes share with folks I work with that I attend silent retreats. Most people react with appalled suspicion. However, an increasing number of individuals on the teams and in organizations I work with are overcoming skepticism as they look for ways to manage the rising waters of stress. This interest has spiked further against the backdrop of an unrelenting pandemic and the global cultural and social awakenings from status quo.
So, where to start? Beginning a mindfulness meditation practice can seem both simple and overwhelming. The info here is intended to help demystify the practice. Ready to try it out?
What is Mindfulness?
Indeed, this question has a lot of buzz these days. Practice of Mindfulness is a simple method of mind training that can bring greater clarity, ease and contentment to daily life. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines Mindfulness as
The awareness that arises
from paying attention
on purpose
in the present moment
non-judgmentally.
Each element in this definition is profound. Paying attention on purpose takes us off of auto-pilot where we spend much of our time re-playing the past or dress-rehearsing the future. Being in the present moment is fundamental as the this is the only moment in which we can perceive, learn, grow and transform. Finally, the essential underpinning to this practice is non-judgment, the observation of our experience without criticism or attempts to change it. Instead, we intentionally bring a sense of acceptance, curiosity and compassion.
How does it work?
In its simplest form, mindfulness meditation can be done in 2 steps:
Become aware of present moment experience to observing without judgment.
As you notice when attention has wandered, gently redirect attention to the NEW present moment.
Et Voila! The practice is often used with an object of focus or “anchor” like the breath (see A Minute for Meditation below.
In a breath-centered meditation, awareness rests on the immediate experience of the in-breath and out-breath. Inevitably, the mind will wander. This distraction is natural and very human. The purpose of the meditation is not to stay in an unbroken state of concentration or bliss. On the contrary, it is to know our mind will become distracted by thoughts, emotions and body sensations. Noticing we are lost in thought is a cherished moment of waking up.
Further, as you observe your thoughts, you will begin to notice they arise and fall away on their own accord. In this simple (and profound) observation, we can begin to see we are not our thoughts. Here is the liberating realization that the stress or anxiety we hold is not personal. Noticing how thoughts and feelings come and go, opens up a fresh space where we can choose whether to act on them. In other words, we can Respond instead of React. Keep reading or pause here for a minute to try it out.
A MINUTE for MEDITATION
Step 1
Sit in a chair with the spine extended in an upright and relaxed position. Feet can be flat on the floor and eyes closed, open or gaze lowered.
Step 2
Bring your awareness inward as you focus attention on your in-breath & out-breath. Notice the sensations of each inhale & exhale without doing anything to manage your breathing or expecting anything to happen.
Step 3
If you notice the mind has wandered, gently bring attention back to the breath without judgment. Kindly appreciating that any moment of realizing the mind has wandered is an opportunity to wake back up and is central to the practice.
Step 4
The mind and body may begin to settle – or not. A moment of calm may be followed by irritability. Notice the rising and falling away of these experiences, allowing them to be just as they are. When ready, you may raise your gaze and freshly take in your surroundings.
Attitude or Bad-itude?
We also cultivate foundational attitudes that support and strengthen our practice. In fact, cultivating these attitudes is an essential aspect of mindfulness meditation:
Allowance (Let go and let be)
Curiosity
Sincerity
Openness
Kindness
Trust. Trust that within us is the wisdom, authority, and knowledge we seek.
Compassion for self and others
Self-compassion researcher, Kristin Neff states, “The emotion of compassion springs from the recognition that the human experience is imperfect.” Holding our experience in this light offers freedom of acceptance and reminds us of innate wholeness.
Attitudes that do not support practice are judgment, harshness, or criticism. Often this practice is compared to training a puppy. We do not berate or harm a puppy if it hops around and wanders off the mat. We understand this is the puppy’s nature and she/he/they are most served by love, patience, understanding and even playfulness. So, we gently guide the puppy back to the mat and begin again.
At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough.
Toni Morrison, Tar Baby
Ways to Practice Mindfulness
FORMAL: Traditionally called meditation, formal practice entails setting aside time dedicated solely to meditating as in a body scan or awareness of breath. The time could span a minute or much longer as the focus remains on the object of meditation. Traditionally, formal practice can be done in 4 positions – sitting, standing, walking, and lying down.
INFORMAL: This practice can be planned or spontaneous and occurs whenever we apply mindfulness to something we are already doing in our everyday life - eating, driving, talking, even brushing our teeth. Often the focus is exploring the experience through our five senses and the sensations that arise as well as how we relate to it (e.g. pleasant, unpleasant, neutral)
The Benefits
An exploding body of research points to the benefits many people report in their own practices of mindfulness and include:
Greater sense of happiness
Ease
Symptom reduction
Improved quality of life
Improved memory
Anxiety and Stress reduction
Self-acceptance
An enhanced experience of daily living
Satisfaction
Boosting immune functioning
Mindfulness training and practice helps us learn to work more effectively with stress, uncertainty, pain and illness as well as managing the pace and challenges of modern living. These practices help people learn to access and cultivate our natural capacity to care for our self, finding greater balance, ease and peace of mind.
By Watching… yourself in your daily life with alert interest with the intention to understand rather than to judge, in full acceptance of whatever may emerge, because it is here, you encourage the deep to come to the surface and enrich your life and consciousness with its captive energies. This is the great work of awareness; it removes obstacles and releases energies by understanding the nature of life and mind. - Nisargadatta Maharaj (1973)
Without Mindfulness: The Challenge and Consequences
Living without a willingness or intention to cultivate a mindfulness practice is not neutral. Below are some impacts that can happen when we lack awareness of our present moment experience.
Not aware of our mood colors or so-called objective experience. When we’re in a bad mood more likely to hear a comment more critical than it was meant.
Might not be aware of how desire or aversion influences how we respond to our environment. Indian proverb, “When a thief sees a saint, all he sees is his pockets.”
Tend to carry tension and stress in the body without realizing it.
Can miss potential positive and pleasant moments – smile of a child, nature, a sincere exchange with another person.
Negativity bias. Our human system is designed for survival and memory to pluck out the negative or painful moments. If we are not aware, we can tend to hold onto unpleasant moments and experiences in our mind long after they are over even if the present moment if pleasant or neutral again.
What Mindfulness is NOT…
Relaxation exercise. In fact, it can surface restlessness or anxiety so it is important to let go of any goal. The practice is staying aware of the present moment experience with an attitude of kind curiosity and allowance.
Quick fix. It can even be boring or glacial. As we begin to pay attention to our inner experience, issues that may have been in the background or not fully acknowledged or processed can rise to the surface. Trusting in the practice and our own innate capacity is the path to living into the fullness of life.
Form of psychotherapy (any therapy), technique, nor affirmations. It becomes a way of life, a particular lens through which we choose to see what is happening.
Religion. Underpinnings of mindfulness meditation are based on practices known across wisdom traditions, particularly Buddhism. However, the practice does not require an orientation to any religion. While it can be secular it is also sacred that it holds an intention to live into the fullness of life.
Finally, mindfulness is a way of being, a basic human quality of awareness cultivated by building skillfulness to pay wise and kind attention to whatever is happening in our lives. The practice can help quiet the mind so we can see things more clearly, manage emotions of stress and anxiety and find greater contentment, happiness and peace. Through mindfulness, individuals can learn from their own direct experience how to take better care of themselves by understanding the interplay of mind, heart and body. This allows for greater access to inner resources for coping, healing and growing.
Source References
Weng, Helen and Davidson, Richard. "Visual Attention to Suffering After Compassion Training Is Associated With Decreased Amygdala Responses". (2018) University of Wisconsin.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2005). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness: Fifteenth anniversary edition. New York: Bantam Dell.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156.
Neff, Kristin (2011). Self-Compassion. The proven power of being kind to yourself. William Mororw.
Research findings at Google and General Mills https://hbr.org/2015/12/why-google-target-and-general-mills-are-investing-in-mindfulness
Mindful Work by David Gelles shares Financial Return on Investment Findings about insurance giant Aetna
How to Get People to Pay Attention During Corporate Trainings by Carter, Varma, Hougaard https://hbr.org/2019/03/how-to-get-people-to-pay-attention-during-corporate-trainings
Thrive by Arianna Huffington - http://ariannahuffington.com/thrive
5 Ways to Boost Your Resilience at Work: #1 Mindfulness training. by Rich Fernandez