mind·ful·ness
ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/
noun
1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
“their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition”
2. a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
Several years ago a dear friend was curious about Shambhala Meditation and asked if I would try it out with her. At the time I was deep into my study of Shaolin Kung Fu and saw this as a great way to supplement my meditation, to “kick it up a notch” if you will. In the year or so that we participated I found myself more calm and relaxed than I had ever been in my entire life. This was happening because my meditation was teaching me mindfulness. I was invested in the present moment, where I was at that point in time. Not thirty minutes before of what might happen an hour later, just then and there… right here, right now.
In daily life we’re so often taught to plan, to think about what’s coming down the pike. I’m a planner by nature and I get that. But take a moment to think about what we miss when we don’t focus on the here and now. I remember when I learned to immerse myself in the sensory experiences that surrounded me. As I would meditate, or “sit” as we were taught to call it, I learned to focus not just on my breathing, but on how the air felt as it passed through my nostrils and expanded my lungs. How did the air taste? Thinking about the feeling of the air passing through my lips… the sounds that I am hearing as all of this is going on. It was odd, but I eventually realized that the whole time I was rushing past this present moment for another one several minutes away – I was missing out on so much.
So, as a result, I learned to embrace the present, because that was all that I really had, and to invest in the people that I was sharing that moment with, because that would never happen again. I learned to embrace life in a way that made me just more appreciative of everything. I don’t know, I guess after seeing so much hate and divisiveness I think that if we all practiced a little bit of mindfulness the world would be a better place.