Mindfulness and Meditation
“We are completely separate from each other, nature and the universe.”
I like the image on the front of this blog post. I think it gives the perfect example of what mindfulness can do for you. It quite literally is lifeline that pulls you out of the whirlwind of thoughts by focussing on what is going on in front of you in that moment. It cuts through the heavy layers of mental resistance to reach a place within you, that you already know exists. After all, you are not your mind.
Tolle (2005) states that not being able to stop thinking is a dreadful habit, but we don’t realize this as almost everybody is suffering from it, so considered normal. This busy noise prevents you from finding peace and stillness in your mind. In an insanely complex world of continuous problems, we struggle to find quiet. Thinking has become a disease of the mind, it happens as things get out of balance.
Many people live with a tormentor in their heads. That inner voice that interprets the present based on the past or the future. It is the cause of unhappiness, stress, anxiety and a lot of other mental illness.
Good news is, you can free yourself of this. Start listening to that voice in your head right now. Pay attention to the repetitative thought patterns, the record on repeat. Pay attention as often as you can. This is called “watching the thinker”. When you listen to the voice, do not judge. Don’t judge what you hear. You can also create a gap in this thinking, simply by focussing on the now. Take whatever routine activity you normally do and give it your full attention. When you are brushing your teeth, every time your mind wanders, bring it back to your teeth or your breathing. Walking up the stairs, think about every step. Washing your hands - how does the water feel. Become aware of a silent presence.
Why are we addicted to thinking?
We identify with it. You derive your sense of self from the content of your thoughts. You believe you would stop being you if you stopped thinking. Your ego develops and to your ego, the present moment you are in, hardly exists. You continuously project yourself into the future “When I get this, I will be happy” “When this passes I will be ok”.
When you are in the past, in thoughts of the past, you experience sadness. When you are in the furture, you experience anxiousness, fear, stress. The present moment, the now, is the only time where there is peace. So why not try to be here more often? Afterall, nothing actually exists outside of now, does it?
There is a lot more to Mindfulness but I shall begin with some simple exercises that will strengthen your mind.
Today I noticed….
This simple approach to mindfulness reminds us to pause, reflect and take note on the little, silly, messy or exciting moments that have made up our days. It is another link to gratitude but gets you to begin to pay attention to what is going on around you. It acts as a little trigger to the present moment.
2. Begin to meditate
Meditation is like a gym membership for the brain. It is the formal practise to start to get our minds to recognise we are thinking, which is something we dont do as it is so normal now, to have busy, full minds. Meditation trains us to recognise our minds wandering and to bring them back. A simple meditation is below!
Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Bring your attention to the noises around you. What can you hear?
Slowly bring your attention to your breathing. What does it feel like breathing in and out? Do your clothes move as you breath. Your belly or chest rise?
When your mind wanders to a thought (as it inevitably will) bring it gently back to your breath. It will wander again, and again, this just shows you how untrained your mind is. Every time, recognise, don’t judge that it has happened and then bring it back to your breath again.
Sometimes it can take minutes before we recognise that we have been thinking. That is fine. With practise it will begin to get quicker to see your mind has wandered and to bring it back again.
If you are interested in learning Mindfulness, please get in touch as I run sessions online and in person!
