Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?

-Tao Te Ching

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the intentional, non-judgmental awareness of experience, from moment to moment. In mindfulness meditation, we choose to intentionally bring awareness to "objects" in our experience. Objects of awareness can be the breath, bodily sensations, thoughts—anything that comes into the field of awareness. Regular mindfulness practice helps us become more in tune with our whole being, in harmony with the ebb and flow of life, with the ability to respond authentically to life’s challenges from our direct experience, rather than react automatically.

Meditation has been described as the intentional self-regulation of attention. There are two general types of meditation practice: concentration, which focuses on one point (breath, mantra, or phrase), and mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation cultivates an intentional, nonjudgmental moment-to-moment awareness of a changing field of objects in our experience. Mindfulness can be a formal, or informal practice. A formal practice involves setting aside specific time in a specific way to maintain a sitting meditation practice, yoga, or walking meditation practice. An informal practice involves being mindful of present-moment awareness during day-to-day activities, such as brushing your teeth, washing the dishes, or eating.

How Mindulness is Helpful

For thousands of years, people have utilized meditation practice to develop awareness into their own experience. Much of human suffering comes from unconscious choices made without awareness. Regular mindfulness practice helps us become aware of our experience. With awareness, we can choose to respond, rather than react, to events. We can learn to live and respond authentically in each moment, rather than live in "automatic pilot." Mindfulness can allow us to see each moment with new eyes, maintaining a "beginner's mind" in our day-to-day experience.

Many of us hold on to images and judgments of ourselves and others that is not helpful, basing our actions and reactions on past experience, rather than what is actually happening to us right now. This is a distortion of the truth of our experience, and causes much distress. Maintaining a beginner’s mind in every encounter frees us from the past, from unrealistic expectations, and allows us to see each moment from a fresh perspective.One thing that is certain about life: everything changes. We choose whether we label something good, or bad. We can learn to fully experience each moment, without judging it or trying to push it away. Becoming an objective observer of our experience is one way to cultivate appreciation for the present moment.

© 2006-2008 Lee Ann O’Neal, M.A., M.F.C. #44874

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