 What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is English translation of “Sati”, a word from the ancient Pali language, spoken by the Buddha. In the known history of human civilization, no one other than the Buddha can claim to know the real understanding of mindfulness and its application. Other words pointing to the meaning of Sati are attention, awareness, and alertness. All point to the conscious presence of mind in the present moment.
Practice of mindfulness inherently implies a non-judgmental watchfulness towards one’s thoughts and feelings. The practice involves being ever ready to observe whatever comes up in the present moment in whatever form. It also involves letting go, as the present moment turns past. It is watchfulness and letting go continuously. It is a wakeful experience of life, an alert but detached observation of the ongoing process of living
Mindfulness is a relaxed attention in which “nothing can offend” you. You are surprised by nothing and shocked by nothing. You remain neutral and immune to everything. It is a mental ability to observe without criticism. With this ability, you see things without preference or prejudice. You suppress nothing and promote nothing.
Mindfulness leads to distancing
With the practice of mindfulness your identification with thoughts and feelings reduces. When you practice mindfulness you begin to watch the flow of consciousness as opposed to the usual habit of swimming in it – and battered by its turbulence. This leads to an interesting outcome: You become less self-absorbed and become more self-aware.
The training in watchfulness creates a distance between you and your consciousness – thoughts, feelings and emotions. This distancing allows space, freedom and control. With distancing you are no longer a part of what is happening in your mind but rather like someone else who is watching everything from a distance. Now the unpleasant feelings and tormenting thoughts are more tolerable and acceptable. This reduces the tendency to avoid or react – you become more neutral and equanimous.
Mindfulness allows you to deal with everything as they appear in the present moment. There is no room for avoidance or suppression. Instead of trying to avoid or argue with the unpleasant thoughts, with mindfulness you stay exposed to it for its natural duration without feeding or avoiding it. When you don’t get involved in the mental chatter, its strength goes down. And as a consequence, you get stronger.
Through the process of non-judgmental awareness, mindfulness also helps avoid the pitfalls of language. Language or words can not accurately describe all types of experiences, so any act of labeling can only be partially correct – it can only serve as a pointer. But the labels definitely feed the thinking process. The act of “mere observation” avoids all such traps of language.
Distancing also allows you flexibility because now you are no longer a “puppet” reacting to the strings of thoughts or feelings. Practice of mindfulness cuts off the strings that trigger habitual reactions and now you can offer suitable response to situations with full conscious awareness. In this way mindfulness is a great tool to break habits.
How to learn mindfulness
The best way to learn the art of mindfulness is to join a Vipassana meditation retreat. A good place to start is to join a 10-day meditation camp from Vipassana International Academy. These camps are organized all over the world. The efficacy of Vipassana meditation is beyond doubt for anyone who practices it seriously.
More Resources
Mindfulness – Described in 12 Ways for Beginners
Mindfulness and Mental Chatter
7 Holistic Benefits of Mindfulness
How Mindfulness Works When Not Working
Some Thoughts About Mindfulness |
