“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
What is Mindfulness?
You’ve probably heard of mindfulness; it’s become a pretty hot topic in recent years. That’s mostly a good thing, in that millions of people are finding that these practices can be helpful for living a life with greater ease, perspective, and meaning. There’s also a risk that the popularity of mindfulness causes opportunists to sell it as some kind of panacea, which it is not. Our purpose in this module is to give you a solid, research-based introduction to these principles, connect you with some of the best available resources for learning more, and encourage you to experiment with these practices and see where they can take you.
So, what is mindfulness? Simply stated, mindfulness is about awareness. Perhaps the simplest definition of mindfulness is present-moment awareness with acceptance. We could further say that mindfulness is experiencing life through a perspective of open curiosity towards the present moment. Still sounding a little nebulous? Mindfulness teacher James Baraz explains, “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” Jon Kabat-Zinn (developer of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) has described mindfulness as the “applied art of conscious living.” Here is Jared’s definition: Mindfulness is a compassionate awareness of thoughts, emotions, and experiences that we can apply to everyday circumstances to live a rich and joyful life.
Dan Harris (journalist and former mindfulness skeptic) offers this great introduction:
Before going further, it may be helpful to make a distinction between the words mindfulness and meditation. These terms have sometimes been used interchangeably, or even together, as in mindfulness meditation. To clarify, mindfulness refers to the quality of awareness—it is the kind of awareness that arises from paying attention nonjudgmentally to what’s happening moment by moment. Meditation, on the other hand, is a time-tested and research-supported method for cultivating mindfulness. Although there are many forms and purposes of meditation, we usually refer to meditation as a set of formal practices like sitting meditation or walking meditation, often using the breath as an anchor and/or using other techniques to learn to pay attention to moment-by-moment experience. Meditation is such a valuable skill to learn that we’re devoting a separate module to it.
In addition to formal meditation practices, there are countless ways to practice mindfulness informally throughout the normal course of a day. Examples of informal mindfulness practices include things like slowing down and deliberately paying attention to all of the sensory experiences while eating a meal, or while driving simply pausing to notice the sensation of one’s hands on the steering wheel when stopped at a red light. In this module we introduce a mix of formal and informal exercises to help you get a taste of the kinds of practices that promote mindfulness.
“An average human looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”
Awareness vs. Autopilot
Let’s explore in greater detail why this matters. For one thing, cultivating skills of awareness offers the possibility of more fully savoring the depth of experience available in any given moment. Sometimes, the circumstances of the moment really lend themselves to being fully attentive to what’s happening, like when you’re enjoying a great conversation with a friend, slowly savoring a delicious meal, or allowing yourself to be immersed in the experience of a beautiful sunset. Those can be rewarding moments where you’re not worrying about finances, ruminating about job stress, or feeling discouraged about a recent setback.
Unfortunately, those “perfect” moments tend to be few and far between. More often, we miss out on the depth and goodness available in a given moment because the mind is on “autopilot:” planning what to do next, stuck in a loop of rumination, habitually reacting to stimuli. It’s what can happen when you get home from a stressful day at work, turn on the TV, and open a large bag of chips; your intention when you sit down may be to eat just a handful, but before you know it you look down and you’re fishing out crumbs from the bottom of the bag. “Did I really eat the whole bag?” In a broad sense, it’s like what Master Yoda said about Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back: [Yoda voice] “All his life has he looked away, to the future, to the horizon, never his mind on where he was, what he was doing!”
We want to emphasize that the mind’s autopilot function is not inherently a problem. The brain likes to conserve resources, and it’s helpful not to have to devote mental energy to something like weighing the pros and cons of brushing your teeth before you leave the house every morning. The problem is when you’re oblivious to the fact that most of your life is running on autopilot. It’s a problem when your friend needs your full attention but you reflexively start reading a message that just arrived on your phone. It’s a problem when you are unable to savor a delicious meal because your mind is planning how you will sort your laundry after dinner, and when you miss a beautiful sunset that’s right in front of you because you’re ruminating about work. Mindlessness can be a subtle enemy. Seriously consider: what would it be like to look back at the end of your life and realize that you had missed most of it?
Fortunately, mindful awareness is a skill that can be cultivated with practice, allowing you to really show up for your life. It can help you to notice thoughts and emotions without being lost in them or carried away by them, freeing you to act with more skill and wisdom. It can enhance your relationships by helping you be more present in your interactions with others, and by increasing a genuine sense of empathy and compassion. It can help you savor the good things in your life and facilitate gratitude for both positive and challenging experiences. While the mind on autopilot tends to generate a sense of dis-ease, mindful awareness promotes a sense of ease and equanimity—an understanding that in the most important ways, things are already OK. We’ve already cautioned against approaching mindfulness as some kind of panacea; at the same time, it’s hard to think of an aspect of life that can’t be enhanced by mindful awareness.
What Mindfulness Is Not
There are a few potential misconceptions about mindfulness that may be worth dispelling at the outset:
It is not a “technique” or a relaxation exercise. We’re not trying to produce a certain mood or state of mind (including a blank mind). It is not an escape. Mindfulness is more like a perspective; a lens through which we can view the world. Relaxation or other pleasant states are common consequences of practicing mindfulness, but these are not goals of the practice.
It is not a quick fix. We can often feel deeply at peace while practicing mindfulness; however, boredom, restlessness, anxiety or other uncomfortable experiences are also very common. Not unlike physical exercise, it’s something that may not always feel great in the moment, but we do it because we know that over time it makes the rest of our life better.
It is not a self-focused endeavor. Although many mindfulness practices (e.g., many meditation exercises) are done individually, the practice is very much about enhancing relationships, including our understanding of interdependence and interconnectedness with other people and all things around us. While this may sound a little “new-agey” at first, it’s very simply about strengthening relationships and enhancing an authentic sense of compassion toward all beings (including oneself).
It is not a religion. We owe much of our understanding of mindfulness to Buddhist traditions that preserved many of these practices over more than 2500 years. However, mindfulness is not a religion and requires no specific religious beliefs or practices. Buddhism (the religion) could be said to have grown up around the practices of mindfulness (as taught by the Buddha). Mindfulness is better described as a psychology; a practical science of the mind. Furthermore, all major religious traditions have contemplative aspects that easily complement the teachings and practices of mindfulness, and one need not be a Buddhist to benefit from these practices. To paraphrase Tenzin Gyatso, the current (18th) Dalai Lama, one is encouraged to take what one learns from these practices “to become a better whatever-you-already-are.”