WHY practice mindfulness?
While we each come to mindfulness for a variety specific personal reasons, our common goal boils down to trying to figure out what on earth is going on - to learn what we and life are all about - can we find real happiness in this complex, rapidly-changing world?
HOW to practice?
• We keep returning our attention to what's happening here & now, both within and outside of us.
• We notice that the mind habitually thinks of the past or the future. (Actually, even thoughts about the past & future occur now.)
• The mind notices sights, sounds, smells, tastes, body sensations, mental feelings, thoughts, etc ("objects").
• The mind's function is to notice, to be aware of, to know objects.
Where's your attention right now? Can you now check how your feet feel?
Did this take much time & effort? No! The mind is very quick, and can do many things effortlessly!
What you did just now, checking how your mind feels - does it feel tense or relaxed? - is an important skillful mindfulness habit to learn and maintain. Why?
When our mind feels tense, we're usually using forced effort - striving. On the other hand, when our mind feels relaxed, we're using our natural intelligence.
BUT what if my mind keeps on drifting from the here & now?
It's perfectly natural for the mind to study various "objects" as these are perceived. Observe thoughts arising and spontaneously fading away (learn to observe thoughts objectively rather than getting wrapped-up & carried away in conversations {"story lines"} with them).
Check how the mind feels - relaxed or tense?
If relaxed, keep patiently bringing attention back to the breath, posture, whatever the mind notices in the present moment.
If tense, this too has natural causes. Can you see if you're trying hard to get, achieve, hold on to, - as if chasing something? Or trying to avoid, deny, get away from, - as if being chased by something? How does your mind feel if you let go of this striving? This too, like everything, is of course all happening right now - just another object for your mind to learn from - "no worries mate" - this too is part of mindfulness practice. When your mind feels at ease again, can you return attention to simpler objects eg feel of the breath, in the here & now?
So we 1) observe objects, 2) accept whatever we find (instead of pretending reality is not there or is different than it is. This does NOT mean condoning anything that causes suffering, NOR allowing it to continue), 3) investigate the nature of the object using the effortless power of our natural intelligence.
The earliest objects in sitting meditation include the activity of the mind itself (shifting focus of attention), tickles, body stiffness / aches, restlessness, etc. Under the high-power microscope of meditative awareness, objects reveal themselves to be very different than we've assumed.
Mindfulness is all about learning from real life - learning to live intelligently, engaging with life it more and more wisely.
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| Photo: dibilio57 www.dpreview.com |
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