“The body is the shore on the ocean of being.”
– Sufi saying
Mindfulness is feeling the freshness of now, a heightened awareness of breath, spine, and intentions. In the past decade, mindfulness has weaved into mainstream psychology and spirituality circles with its calming and healing effects. Who would refuse greater self-awareness and mood regulation? who would refuse greater focus and wellbeing? What’s more, mindfulness is free and anybody can practice it, anywhere. Being aware is common sense and a basic part of being a human.
Inside of a mindful moment, a person is awake to what is happening in real-time because of a simple recognition: the present is innately sufficient and everfresh. It is not driven by ambition; it is the feeling of awareness. A mindful moment is not a state of staying stuck or insisting things to be different than they are; it is more a feeling of surrender, a flow, like river to the sea and all the states in between.
In sports psychology, flow is a state of heightened focus, or being in the “zone,” where the mind is lucid and the self is absorbed with the task at hand. Championship athletes integrate flow into their training to enhance their performance. Phil Jackson, who coached Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to 11 total championships, incorporated mindfulness into his training as a way to increase mental strength when things got tough.
With increased awareness, our reactions to the world become more tolerant and flexible. The feeling of interruptions fade because there is nothing to insist or resist. Stress is just another content of awareness, something you can watch come and go without judgment. The process can be boring; it can be beautiful. Regardless, the practice is of softness and aware presence.
It can be boring; it can be beautiful. Regardless, the practice is of softness and aware presence.
Consciously breathing, mindfully observing, calmly hovering over thoughts and feelings inside and around the body without needing to react. The ability to perceive within is called interoception.
This awareness practice can be paired with any everyday routine. For example, the first 5min of waking up, meditation, taking a shower, making coffee, commuting to work, eating a meal, washing dishes. Anything that has meaning in life and deserves attention, it can be practiced mindfully.
Imagine coffee.
When brewing a fresh cup in the morning, you can smell the coffee grind, the ensuing hot slow pour, and with the cup in hand there is a warmth that consumes you. Then taking the first sip that slightly burns the tongue, like tiny alligators thrown around in the mouth. It is glorious and for a moment the senses are full. For some of us, it’s a daily ritual and rich with poetic imagery. In a way, mindfulness is the poetry of what is.
Continually claiming the freshness of now is the practice of mindfulness.
Imagine dishwashing.
Adam Hanley at Florida State University found that engaging in mindful dishwashing can inspire positive emotions. His team gathered participants into two groups: the control group was asked to read a descriptive passage about dishwashing prior to the wash, and the experimental group read a passage about the sense-experience of washing, including the smell of the soap, warmth of the water, textures of the plate, and so forth. After the activity, the mindful group reported a more positive state of mind (for example, being less anxious and more mentally inspired).
The art of staying present is a style of living with the freshness of now. Continually staying aware and maintaining nonjudgment, moment by moment, is an ancient part of being a human.