Whatever we are doing is the most important thing in our life, because only by being mindful of our experience in the moment can we truly know life (our own true nature) and be free of suffering, be it stress, anger, fear, anxiety, jealousy, guilt, or any other destructive pattern. Mindfulness
(whether sitting in meditation or peeling the spuds) is being aware of our inner experience of life (our relationship with life) in the moment that it is occurring. We do this by being aware of our physical senses, our thoughts, emotions, actions, and sensations; all of which exist within the physical body. Therefore, to become increasingly aware of the body, and less consumed by the thoughts of the mind, is to become increasingly mindful.
The power and importance of being mindfully aware of our reaction (how we relate) to life, is that it naturally balances our response to the circumstances of life and we become peaceful, we stop suffering. What’s more, as our general level of mindfulness (or presence) deepens, we become less reactive to the challenges of life; we maintain an inner state of stillness and peace in situations which, in the past, would have triggered a disturbing reaction; and when we do react, we become aware (mindful) of that reaction more quickly, which, again, naturally frees us of the reaction and allows a natural return to balance.
Because we are so often elsewhere with our thoughts and daydreams, we go through life largely unaware, in that we give little or no attention to what we are actually experiencing through the body in the moment of that experience. When this occurs, we are unaware of our relationship with life, we are not mindful. Being mindful brings us back to ourselves, so that we are naturally present in the moment – aware of our true nature and at peace.
However, it is generally more difficult to maintain an inner awareness during the hubbub of the day, than it is when sitting quietly in meditation. This is particularly true when we are faced with situations or people that we find difficult or challenging. So be patient with yourself – it takes time and effort to become more mindful. The more we cultivate mindfulness during the easy, stress free periods of the day, the greater the likelihood that we will remain present during the more challenging times.
Acceptance is peace
When we’re in a state of mindful awareness, we naturally accept whatever is; we don’t label, judge, deny, suppress, or seek change – it just is, whatever it is. Acceptance has nothing to do with the outer circumstances that we face, other than they help us to identify (and so heal) imbalances within ourselves. If someone or something makes me angry, for example, the inner quality of acceptance is realised by being mindfully aware of my reaction (the anger). This awareness releases me from the conscious and unconscious judgments, opinions, beliefs, values, etc. that I hold, and which, cumulatively, result in the disturbing inner conflict that I label as anger.
Acceptance is experiencing whatever is from the stillness of our core; whereas non-acceptance is relating and reacting to life from our imbalanced and distorted emotions and thoughts at the periphery of our being.
So, when you become aware that you are labelling, judging, or wishing that something was different than it is, come to your breath, follow it into the body and focus your attention on your emotions, words, actions, physical senses, thoughts, or inner sensations to bring you back to an awareness of your relationship with what is – to being present in the here and now. Anger, fear, stress, or any other imbalances, cease to exist when we become mindful of them – the light of consciousness dispels the dark of the unconscious.
Reprogramming
A lifetime of conditioning has unconsciously programmed us to believe that happiness is at some point in the future and is dependent upon something that is outside of ourselves. This belief is foremost and primarily expressed through the thinking mind – “I will be happy when….” This belief, however, is false and creates nothing but suffering, because ‘will’ and ‘when’ always remain – by definition, they can never be attained. Through mindfulness, the thinking mind becomes still and quiet, which is its natural state. When the mind is quiet, there is no ‘will’ or ‘when’, there just ‘is’, and ‘is’ is acceptance of what is; and to accept what is, is to be mindfully meditative – present and aware of our true nature. This is the only true happiness – the realisation of who we are.
The path of freedom from suffering is to become increasingly aware of our relationship with life as we experience it – which we do through our thoughts, emotions, physical actions (movements and speech), sensory experiences (sight, sound, taste, smell, touch), and sensations (such as pain, hunger, and inner energy). It is expanding, through self-observation, our awareness of our inner experience and how we react to the outer world. With practise, we change our mental pattern and transcend the unconscious, habitual behaviour that has evolved since childhood, and which perpetuates our suffering. Every moment is an opportunity to be present in that moment and to know inner peace, whatever it is that we are doing – without exception!
Relaxed focus
As with sitting ‘meditation’ practice, being mindful through the day means maintaining a relaxed focus on an inner aspect of our experience of the present moment. And just as in meditation, we have to reprogramme the mind, which means that every time we realise that the mind has wandered off to somewhere other than our experience of the now, we gently bring it back to its focus on the present moment.
Whether our mindfulness practise is a sitting meditation or chopping the veg, the process is the same: we are retraining the mind to remain focused and aware of the here and the now.
Following the breath
We can follow the breath to all the different aspects and depths of the experience of life. Mindfulness of the breath guides us in to the body, allowing an inner awareness of the movements of the body, its sensations, emotions, thoughts, and beyond to the emptiness of reality. The breath is our guide, the bridge to our natural state, because in its natural state, it exists in the present moment, and it becomes natural when we focus on it. So take a moment as often as you remember to, whatever you are doing, and watch the breath as you gently breathe in and breathe out; create a new habit that is beautiful and healing.
At any time that you remember to, try saying silently to yourself (as you focus on the breath), “Breathing in, I feel peace; breathing out, I am peace” – even for just a few breaths. Keep your self-awareness in the belly or the nostrils, and when the mind wanders come back to that focus of the breath – just as with meditation. With a little practice, we can experience the peace of the present moment as soon as we become aware of the breath.
When we are unmindful, the breath reflects our emotions. For example, when we are angry, we breathe differently to when we are frightened. By focusing on the breath, it becomes natural and harmonises the imbalance of the emotions. This occurs because when the mind is focused it can no longer continue the story that was trapping the emotion in the body, and so the emotion (‘energy-in-motion’) naturally moves on, returning the body, and our state of being, to balance and peace.
Each moment of being mindfully aware of the breath is a moment of freedom from suffering. At rest, an average person breathes 16 times every minute, which is about 960 breathes an hour. Therefore, every hour that we are awake we have almost 1000 opportunities to transcend suffering and know our true nature of peace. Life has clearly stacked the odds of liberating ourselves from suffering in our favour!
Mindfulness practices
Sitting meditation and mindfulness practices throughout the day are basically the same thing, which is to be aware, alert, calm, and inward looking. They also follow the same principles of maintaining a relaxed focus on an aspect of the body (for example, the breath in the belly, the feet as we walk, the mouth as we talk, or the emotions we feel), of gently coming back to the focus when the mind wanders, and of allowing our awareness to open as a natural consequence of the mind becoming still and quiet, which it does as a result of holding the focus. The obvious added dimension of practicing during the day, when compared with sitting meditation, is that we are interacting with the outside world.
S-l-o-w d-o-w-n.
First and foremost in becoming present in the moment, is to slow down both physically and mentally. Rushing is an aspect of the unconscious mind’s habitual pattern of looking ahead to what’s next, as it seeks to do something else or be somewhere else other than here, now. Physically slowing down helps to bring our awareness back into the body (which is vital if we are to be present), and by focusing our attention on whatever it is that we are doing or experiencing, our thoughts will naturally slow (which is also necessary to be present).
Transforming the daily grind into bliss.
Give your undivided attention to daily activities – use the senses of the body to be in it (whatever it is that you are doing). Begin with a few specific tasks, and gradually expand your practice to include more and more of your day. For example, be mindfully aware when cleaning your teeth, peeing, preparing food, cleaning the house, watching TV, reading, conversing with others, working, lying in bed, and so on. Really be in whatever you are doing; feel, taste, smell, listen, and be aware of the movements of your body. Be acutely aware of whichever sense you are focusing on. Nothing is excluded from the opportunity to be mindfully aware of what is; in every moment, we can know our true nature and be free of suffering.
Inner body scan.
As often as you remember to, follow the breath into the body and become aware of the body’s physical position, any tension or discomfort it has, and any emotional energy within it. Adjust your posture if you feel it necessary, and let go of any tension – relax and hopefully any discomfort will ease. Focus your attention on any emotions that are stuck in the body and they will pass (see ‘Transformation of Energy’ in Guided Meditations).
Don’t believe a word of it.
Having become aware of what you are thinking about, are those thoughts even true? Whether they are positive or negative, be mindful of them; watch them rather than unconsciously allowing them to run away with themselves, into what is generally a story or commentary that, in one way or another, creates inner conflict. This awareness will naturally still and quiet the thinking mind, opening your consciousness to the present moment.
When you experience negativity toward someone or a situation, try swopping the destructive thoughts with accepting, loving, and understanding ones – reprogramme the brain to be positive and compassionate.
Mindful self-talk.
Become aware of the breath, and then silently articulate to yourself everything that you do for the next 10 minutes. “I am walking to the door, I am bending down, I am pulling on my shoe, I am tying the laces, I am straightening up, I am opening the door (slow down!) I’m looking at this, I’m touching that, I can smell….,I can hear….. Keep coming back to the breath to deepen your awareness of the moment; not just of your experience through the senses, but of how you feel (perhaps amused, irritated, or anxious) and of your thoughts (including the silent commentary of what you are doing).
Another aspect of mindful self-talk is to silently reiterate that what we are doing is for its own sake. For example, “I’m walking just to walk”, not to get from A to B. “I’m washing up just to wash up”, not to finish and then have a brew. “I’m cleaning my teeth just to clean my teeth”, not so that I can then get into bed. Silently say these things to yourself, and it will prevent the mind from looking ahead, and help keep you into the present.
Walking meditation.
Whether you’re walking in town, the countryside, up the stairs, to the car, in the supermarket; wherever you are, be there! Slow down, even if it’s just slightly, and be 
aware of your feet – really feel them (don’t just think about them); be aware of the pressure on the sole of your foot, the movement of the muscles in the foot (how they relax as the foot is planted and contract as it moves and pushes forward), the movement of the ankle, the muscles of the calf, the knees, thighs and hips. Gradually expand your awareness upward as you walk – the whole body is involved in taking a step, and it’s amazing and transformative when you become aware of it all!
You may find it helpful to silently say to yourself “here” and “now” on each alternative step.
The outside inside.
Walk slowly and go into the body by following the breath or by becoming aware of the feet. Pull your awareness back so that you observe what the eyes see from within, rather than going out to the object that you are looking at. It’s kind of like looking from within the head, or from behind the eyes – it’s the outward view of the spirit within. All thought and emotion stops, and awareness of the surroundings deepens profoundly and extraordinarily. It takes practice, but the notion of separation eventually falls away and we walk as one with all that surrounds us.
To begin with, you might find it easier to just look at the ground to minimise visual stimulation. When you realise that your awareness has gone out to something, bring your attention to the breath and come back into the body.
This practice works with the other senses too: be within the fingers as you touch and feel, be the mouth as it tastes and chews, the cheek as the breeze blows across it, listen and smell from within – draw your senses in and experience from within, aware of your relationship with life.
The tastiest mouthful.
We eat frequently and generally stop doing other things while we do so, so it’s an excellent opportunity to focus on the experience and be present. However, it’s important not to distract ourselves, which means no TV or radio while we eat, and when eating with others, try doing so in silence sometimes.
Close your eyes and become aware of the breath for a few moments. When you feel ready, open your eyes and experience the true joy of food. Be mindfully aware of the entire physical process of eating; from first looking at and smelling the food, picking up the cutlery, the movement of the body as the knife and folk approach the plate, cut the food, and then move it toward your mouth. Be present as you open your mouth, taste, chew, and swallow.
Move slowly as you observe the physical movements and actions of your body: the fingers, hands, wrists, muscles, joints, mouth, tongue, jaw, throat, the saliva in the mouth. Be aware of each of the physical senses (sight, touch, sound, smell, taste) and what they perceive during the process – look, smell and consume with awareness; be in the mouth and feel the texture of the food, its temperature and taste. Really be in the body during the process.
Watch your thoughts and emotions; is there irritation at this new way of eating, or joy? Maintain an inner focus, and when it wanders bring your focus back into the body, aware of your relationship to whatever you are eating.
Try not to name, label, judge, or think – just focus and observe. When truly mindful, all thought and emotion stops, and awareness deepens profoundly as you observe from inner stillness and peace.
You might smile at the extraordinary beauty of this heightened state of being.
Heaven is a mug of tea.
When I take a drink from the mug next to me, I can do so without even taking my eyes from the computer screen. The whole process of picking up the mug and having a drink can be done with peripheral vision while I continue to read over what I have written. I am not really aware of the process of drinking, although my ability to multi-task is clearly unquestionable! When I give my full attention to having a drink; when I am truly present, the experience is completely different.
I really see the mug for the first time. I watch as my arm moves slowly toward it. As my hand closes around it I can feel its temperature and texture. The movement towards my mouth is surprisingly complex -the shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers all move interdependently in various directions, simultaneously and harmoniously. Despite the physical complexity of the process, all I have to consciously do is move the mug towards my mouth. I had never before noticed what a physically amazing process having a drink is. There is a completely different quality to the experience when I am mindfully aware during the process, and it makes me smile. My awareness expands, and it becomes clear that I am not the hand, the fingers or the arm, any more than I am the mug. Nor am I that which consumes the drink. There is a spacious quality to the experience that is blissful. It’s nice, really nice, and that’s without even tasting the brew.
Experiment.
Nothing is out of bounds. Every moment and every action, thought, emotion, and sensation is an opportunity to be mindfully aware: to quiet the mind and open to stillness and peace. So experiment and find what works for you. Become increasingly aware of your relationship with life from when you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night – the benefits from doing so are life changing and truly liberating.