Unless you’ve been living like a hermit in an isolated cave, you’ve probably become aware that mindfulness is the Next. Big. Thing.
Mindfulness, which can be defined as
“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“,
has its roots in Buddhism, and has been practiced in many parts of the world for around 2,600 years.
Does this mean that we need to shave our heads and don flowing orange robes to experience mindfulness?
Not if you follow the example of people like Oprah and the Pope, or organisations like Google and incorporate a mindfulness practice into your everyday routine.
And getting started is easy.
All you need is a couple of minutes, according to Google’s Chade-Meng Tan in his book “Search Inside Yourself: Increase Productivity, Creativity and Happiness“:
I offer two ways to experience a taste of mindfulness: the Easy Way and the Easier Way.
The creatively named Easy Way is to simply bring gentle and consistent attention to your breath for two minutes. That’s it. Start by becoming aware that you are breathing, and then pay attention to the process of breathing. Every time your attention wanders away, just bring it back very gently.
The Easier Way is, as its name may subtly suggest, even easier. All you have to do is sit without agenda for two minutes. Life really cannot get much simpler than that. The idea here is to shift from “doing” to “being,” whatever that means to you, for just two minutes. Just be.
The idea here is to pay attention to your attention. With the Easy Way, you are attempting to concentrate on your breath.. but you can be 100% certain that your mind will wander and you will start thinking about something else.
Your attention will wander.. to your plans for the day ahead, or the things you may have forgotten while shopping, or that little itch just behind your knee, and suddenly your breath will have been forgotten.
But eventually, you will realise that you’ve wandered off. And this is where the rubber hits the road.
Quietly, gently, and without judgement you need to bring your attention back. Simply label your distraction:
“thinking”, or
“itchy”, or
“hot”
… and then return your attention to the breath.
It is this exercise of catching the wandering mind, and refocusing on the breath again and again that will build your mindful capacity. Just like lifting a weight will build a muscle’s capacity.
Realise. Label. Return.
Repeat.
You’ve now begun!
