7 Things Mindfulness Isn't
Sometimes in order to try and understand a concept, I look at it from a different point of view. This is something that I’ve been practicing for a few years.
If I’m having trouble understanding something, I challenge myself to look at what it is NOT. A good example is when you don’t know what you want. Instead of trying to force yourself to come up with an answer or make a decision, try looking at what it is you DON’T want. Usually after a bit it starts to become clearer what it is you do want.
So, if you’re having trouble identifying what mindfulness is all about, let me tell you what it ISN’T about. Let’s get the misconceptions and falsehoods out of the way and see what we’re left with, shall we?
Mindfulness Is Not About:
Clearing your mind of all thoughts- A common misconception about mindfulness is that in order to be mindful, we need to have a quiet mind. The truth is that mindfulness can be practiced whether the mind is still or chaotic. It’s about becoming aware of what our mind is doing. When frantic, hectic or frazzled, simply note this inner experience with curiosity, patience, and non-judgment.
Judgment- Another key aspect of mindfulness involves accepting our present moment’s experiences in a non-judgmental way. This includes accepting our thoughts and feelings—whether positive or negative—and practicing being present ourselves in the moment without evaluating it.
Meditation- Mindfulness can often be linked to meditation. Mindfulness could be considered a form of meditation. however, it can be practiced outside of formal meditation, such as during a conversation with a loved one. We wouldn’t call a conversation meditation, but we can indeed bring mindful awareness to the act of speaking and listening.
Feeling good- Mindfulness is not associated with a particular state. It is the practice of being aware of the state we are in. We can be mindful of the experience of joy, just as we can be mindful of the presence of grief. Mindfulness can lead us towards a state of inner peace, but first and foremost it is a practice of witnessing – without judgment, without changing anything, and without grasping at any particular state of being.
Religion- We do not need to believe in anything in particular in order to practice mindfulness. It is simply an exercise of bringing our awareness to what is present in our experience – and that is something that humans of all belief systems can experiment with.
Quick fixes- The journey into being more mindful is not a quick one. In fact, it is one that doesn’t really have an ending. Throughout our lives, we will continue to experience challenging feelings, emotions, and events. Mindfulness can (if we are consistent) help us explore these emotions.
Always feeling calm- The aim of mindfulness is not to always feel calm. The aim is to be aware of how you are feeling without judging it as right or wrong or good or bad.
So hopefully by now you have more of an understanding of what mindfulness is and what it isn’t. Like any new skill, to become good at it requires patience, commitment, and continued practice.
Mindfulness is a skill that, if practiced consistently, has the potential to improve our lives in so many ways.
Tip: You don’t need any special equipment or skills to get started. You can start to practice mindfulness right now by simply being aware of what device you are reading this post on. Is it a tablet, phone, laptop or desktop? What does it look like? Feel like?
See, now you’re practicing mindfulness!
Oh, and if you’re wanting a fun and creative way to practice mindfulness, you can download a FREE Mindful Tracing Page to get you started on your mindful journey.
