MORE ON MINDFULNESS MEDITATION:

Definitions

Mindfulness has been around for over 2,000 years. It seems to be an overused term these days, with just about any activity prefaced with the word ‘mindfulness’. In Buddhist context, the practice of mindfulness was first documented in the Satipatthana Sutta, a text which is part of the Pali Canon (a body of Buddhist scriptures). The Satipatthana Sutta can be considered an empirical guide to freeing the mind from suffering. The Pali word Sati, can be translated as, ‘remember to observe’.

 Some contemporary definitions of mindfulness include:

 The quality and power of mind that is deeply aware of what’s happening – without commentary and without interference (Joseph Goldstein)

Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

 Mindfulness is a capacity of mind. It’s a way of relating to whatever is happening: paying attention, noticing, not judging, not thinking.

Meditation as a training ground

Mindfulness meditation can be thought of as a training ground to help us to live with a greater sense of balance, curiosity, compassion, friendliness, and acceptance of what is. The Buddhist roots of mindfulness consider the relevance of suffering and impermanence in training the mind.

Suffering

Suffering is a natural part of living. As humans we instinctively want to push uncomfortable feelings or experiences away, we tend to resist them. Resistance adds an additional layer of suffering to the initial suffering. In meditation we can practice being with uncomfortable feelings or sensations while holding an attitude of non-judgement and compassion. We can also pay attention to pleasant sensations and feel more comfortable in our body. The more that we do this in our practice, the better we get at it in our everyday lives. We have more fuel in the tank, so to speak when life throws us challenges. We become more resilient.

Impermanence

Similarly, impermanence is a fact of life. Our bodies are in a constant state of flux, life situations change, moods shift, people come and go, seasons change. The more we understand this, the less we cling to certain expectations or outcomes. Life challenges are never easy, yet remembering impermanence can support us to navigate our way through difficult times. In meditation, we see the arising and falling away of different thoughts, feelings, sensations. When we train in this way, we get better at remembering that unpleasant feelings and experiences are subject to change and pleasant ones are too. In doing so, we get better at being with difficulty in a more compassionate way and we tend to experience pleasant experiences more mindfully, knowing they won’t last.

MINDFULNESS DISTILLED INTO 3 STEPS:

1.   Find a comfortable seated position and close your eyes, or have them slightly open with you gaze cast downward.

2.   Focus your full attention on the feeling of your breath coming in and going out through the nose. Notice where the breath feels most obvious - nose, chest, belly - and just feel the inhale and exhale at that area of the body. This is your anchor. Next, your mind will go into action: thoughts, fantasies, pain, distracting sounds… See if you can notice the distraction without judging yourself.

3.  Come back to the feeling of the breath: The third step essentially IS the practice. As soon as you notice that you’re distracted from the feeling of the breath, bring your attention back over and over. You may need do this 1,000 times, thats ok- it means you’re meditating!