Words and Ideas
Over the last twenty years, mindfulness (noun) and mindful (adj.), have not only entered the English vernacular but become ubiquitous to the point of cliché.
It is commonplace for instructions such as 'be mindful of the bins and put your rubbish in them', 'be mindful of your past mistakes before trying again' and 'be mindful of your words before speaking'. This usage of mindfulness - the most common - is synonymous with ‘awareness’.
So, is mindfulness simply awareness?
In short, no.
The popularity of the word mindfulness has become a barrier to understanding the richer concept it can signify. More than simply awareness. The most widely used modern definition is:
"the awareness that emerges through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” Kabat-Zinn, 1994
This definition needs some unpacking:
Paying attention: Most of us have a pretty good understanding of when we are paying attention to something. What is harder is noticing when our mind wanders. Often it can be minutes before we realise our attention has moved on to something else.
Paying attention, on purpose: A lot of the time we may know what we are paying attention to, but we are not in control of what that is. A difficult social interaction, financial worry or health concern can produce thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations that demand our attention whether we want them to or not; even days, weeks or years later. At the extreme, our minds can become fixated and obsessed, trapped in cycles of rumination.
Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment: We cannot be in the past or future, but we can be thinking about it in the present. When we do this we easily become lost in thoughts about things rather than connected with what is happening right now.
Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement. The mind can be settled on a sensation in the body such as the gentle rising and falling of the belly during the breathing process. A subtle thought may enter consciousness. This thought may compare this breath with the previous, or it may be judging how relaxed we are compared to how we thought we would be. Suddenly, we are disconnected from our present moment experience.
Once mindfulness is understood as this nuanced form of attention, it is apparent that we are often either not aware - or at least not mindful - of the unfolding of experience moment by moment.
In fact, this un-mindful way of being in the world is our default mode. And often, that is fine. Who cares if we are purposefully aware of bins as long as we don't litter? Reflecting on past mistakes reduces the likelihood you will make them again. Judging your words before speaking is important. But often mindful awareness is exactly what we need when confronted with challenging experiences and when we are at our most vulnerable.
An important aside to make is that mindfulness is not originally an English term. The word mindfulness is a translation of a Pali (ancient indian language) word “Sati”, with a long and rich history of its own. Mindfulness has been reconceptualised and redefined by many cultures over the last two and a half millennia. I plan on exploring this in more detail in another blog post.I have used the most commonly accepted definition of mindfulness in research and the modern 'mindfulness movement' here which is useful for explaining to a modern western audience (such as you and I).
Even if you have a strong intellectual sense of what mindfulness is, it may not seem very 'real' after reading the above. This may be my ability as a writer to convey the idea to some extent, but mindfulness is a hard idea to pin down for a number of reasons.
Let's diverge for a moment. Imagine you had the patience and interest to learn about apples. You might start with a book on different apples and how to grow them. Next, you could go on to study the chemical and physical properties of an apple. With your fertilised interest growing, you journey even further into the apple milieu venturing forward to study the cultural, economic and political significance of apples. You might gain notoriety after your PhD and eventual professorship leads to tutoring swathes of eager students on what - thanks in large part to your efforts - is the now complex and nuanced world of apples of which you are the leading expert.
However, no amount of information about apples would tell you about the experience of eating an apple. The same is true of mindfulness, as Herman Hesse wrote:
"Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish." Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
Experiencing Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of mind that feels like something. Unlike a fruit never tasted, you will have experienced mindfulness already - today, even. There may have been fleeting moments in your day, and you probably would not have labelled them as mindful moments, but if you return to the above definition they will have met the criteria.
Some environments encourage mindfulness without requiring much - if any - effort. Being in nature is often one - the play of light through trees, brisk air on skin, a chorus of birdsong or the sweet crunch of leaves underfoot.
Mindfulness is not an exclusively 'natural' state, though, and can be experienced in any environment - looking out of a train window at the ever-changing cityscape, water swirling around us in the bath, and witnessing a work of art that moves us are a few examples. There are often moments when it is easy to bring attention to what is happening now, just experiencing without the overlay of thoughts about what is happening. In other words, when do you feel most mindful? Please leave comments below.
The first line from Mary Oliver's poem Mindful captures beautifully how mindfulness feels.
Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.
Mary Oliver, Mindful
If poetry is helpful for you to understand experiences then see this blog post HERE with several other poems that touch on what mindfulness feels like.
We cannot always choose to be mindful, just as we can't choose to be happy or funny - especially when we are stressed. We can even be in the most beautiful, interesting and engaging environments and also not be there - lost in thoughts and feelings about the past and future. Not choosing what we focus on, not being in the present moment, and not allowing the urge to judge to pass by without action.
Whilst mindfulness can arise spontaneously, it can also be cultivated as a state of mind, turned into a habit of mind. Just as you could train in a sport or an instrument, you can train mindfulness through practice too. One way to foster more mindfulness in your life is by taking a course. Read more about our course HERE.
You may have spotted the inconsistency in this last section. In trying to use words to convey the experience of mindfulness I have only pointed at the experience. Why not listen to our ten-minute introduction to mindfulness meditation below.
References:
Kabat-Zinn J. Wherever you go there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York, NY: Hyperion; 1994. [Google Scholar]
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