The Art of Being Mindful

The Art of Being Mindful

When I think of mindfulness today, I think of apps like Calm and Headspace. These apps are helpful, but they miss two crucial components of what it means to be mindful. This blog post will discuss the two mindfulness components that separate being mindful from meditations you see advertised on television. If you've never heard the term mindfulness, this is a great place to start. If you have practiced other meditations and want to know more about the art of being mindful, you may also learn something new here.

We can practice mindfulness, but it's not a capital "P" Practice. When we make things Practices, they instead become performance measures, which are the opposite of being mindful. Like we tend to do with most good things in life, we have made the practice of mindfulness into just another tool to push ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves. Unfortunately, the message of mindfulness has been lost somewhere in the marketing process. We don't need more tools. We need to become more aware and accepting of ourselves.

I'm not a mindfulness expert, but that is the beauty of mindfulness. Anyone can do it. As you read, try to picture what I'm saying. Don't skim or quickly read through this, but try to read every word. To be present is the first crucial component of being mindful. The mind doesn't stay in the present moment very long. It ponders the past or plans for the future. Recent studies state that some 95% of brain activity is unconscious, meaning most of what we do in the present we do without even thinking about it.

To break this down, think about this. Do you think about breathing? Of course, you don't. How could you think about anything else if you had to think about each breath you took? Our breath, however, points us to the present moment. Every breath is different than the last. Therefore, our inhale, followed by our exhale, reminds us of our present experience. Try focusing on your breath now. Don't force yourself to breathe. Notice the way your lungs inhale when they need oxygen and then exhale once that oxygen turns to carbon dioxide. The more we practice paying attention, the more we can notice. We can always tune into our breath when we want to be reminded of the present.

The second crucial component of mindfulness is to be non-judgmental of what you notice. We'll use the example of the breath again to demonstrate what I mean. If I discover my breathing is shallow, being non-judgmental means not attaching any expectation or belief about how I should be breathing onto what I notice. Instead, I simply notice my breath is shallow. Understanding may come to me as to why this is the case, but that's okay if it doesn't. It's more important that I notice without judgment. The more I notice without judgment, the more I accept what I notice. One of the most powerful gifts we can give to ourselves is acceptance of self.

Right now in this present moment, you are breathing. Notice your breath. Once you find it, don't judge what you notice. Scan your body. Remain open to whatever you feel. Don't rush. There is nowhere else you need to be. This is you fully alive in the present moment, never the exact same as you were just a moment ago. Whatever you notice, it's there for a reason. Sink deeper into your seat and trust that what you feel is real.