Meditation basics
My favorite and most concise definition of mindfulness is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR):
Mindfulness is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. It is one of the many forms of meditation, if you think of meditation as any way in which we engage in 1) systematically regulating our attention and energy, 2) thereby influencing and possibly transforming the quality of our experience, 3) in the service of realizing the full range of our humanity, and of 4) our relationship to others and the world.
In simple, laymen’s terms mindfulness means “paying attention.” But there must be more to the hype around this mindfulness movement that makes it so attractive?
Mindfulness is a complex known and felt experience that has been difficult to articulate for literally thousands of years. What most practitioners of mindfulness meditation agree upon is that it is an experience, and as such, it needs to be practiced to be understood.
To be clear, mindfulness can only be practiced in the present moment. However, most humans are decidedly not in the present moment, but rather on autopilot in the midst of going through the motions of daily life. We are usually lost in thoughts — rehashing the past or rehearsing the future — either way we can see how we are missing the moments of our life as they pass by.
Being present in the moment itself is not enough. As meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein once said, a dog is totally living in the moment, but he’s not mindful because he’s not aware of it. In order to be mindful we need to also be aware that we are being mindful.
Not only do we need to direct and sustain our attention in the present moment, and be aware that we are doing so, we also need to pay attention to how we pay attention. We need to be accountable to our attitude toward life, as well.
Mindfulness invites us to open to a moment-by-moment awareness, which also means to be as non-judgmental as possible for all of the difficult and painful life moments, as well. You see, mindfulness doesn’t care what it’s mindful of. Mindfulness isn’t a boost during only the lovely moments of life — but it’s not a self-improvement project, either. There is no end state or finish line. Mindfulness continues through all of the cycles of birth, life, aging, and death. One moment of noticing at a time.
It takes a lot of practice and patience — as well as the support of a teacher, and a community, to inspire us to keep returning to this moment, over and over again.
Larissa has been practicing mindfulness meditation for over 25 years and has been certified to teach mindfulness meditation by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. If you are interested in working with a mindfulness meditation teacher toward a formal practice, contact Larissa to see if she would be a good fit.
