"Not had much time for spiritual activities recently"... perhaps a true statement, but why should we say that? Isn't spirituality embedded in our everyday life (or at least, shouldn't it be)? Actually, it is more of a natural and frequent need, not something to force or something that we take 10-20 minutes to sit down and do. On a personal level, I am trying to elevate my life and make it more spiritual as a whole; not just something that I do at home (i.e. meditation), I want to take my spirituality everywhere I go, and let it inspire my whole life!
And how do I do this? The answer is simple: m i n d f u l n e s s , or differently put: just being present and watching your thoughts. Mindfulness, a practice found in many types of Buddhism is a simple but effective way to stay grounded and centered within yourself. We all know how easy it is to forget oneself and get tangled up in all kinds of negative thoughts. It is this noise that stops us from being who we want to be - a person with positive thoughts and a caring mind.
And how do I do this? The answer is simple: m i n d f u l n e s s , or differently put: just being present and watching your thoughts. Mindfulness, a practice found in many types of Buddhism is a simple but effective way to stay grounded and centered within yourself. We all know how easy it is to forget oneself and get tangled up in all kinds of negative thoughts. It is this noise that stops us from being who we want to be - a person with positive thoughts and a caring mind.
Every day, the first thing I try to think of when I wake up is to have that "no mind" quality. Some also call it "beginner's mind". It's not always easy. More often than not, the brain wants to be dancing around, thinking useless, negative (sometimes) thoughts that have nothing to offer to me or anyone else. So I try to take it slow and de-activate that clutter with some mindfulness. Be present, watch my thoughts and try to not pay too much attention to them because they are just passing waves in the ocean of consciousness.
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| Destroying demons is an everyday part of training in mindfulness! |
Mindfulness has a huge psychological effect on our well being, because when we actively watch our thoughts, they miraculously have a tendency to become more calm and serene, and the train of thought is easier to stop before we become agitated, angry etc. I don't know exactly why or how this happens, other that I know it does happen. I guess that inside, we have some kind of "watcher" who knows what's good for us and what's not -- we just have to let go and let it shine through. This could be our common sense or something else, more divine. At this point, each person decides for themselves.
There are millions of pages written about mindfulness and the nature of no-mind, by many scholars of all kinds of religions and sects. But for me, a person with a very busy life that is almost always outside of the house, the good thing about mindfulness is that it is a type of meditation that can be done at all times and anywhere I might find myself. All it takes is a deep breath and the choice to come back to the present.
As a hardcore kid who wants the world and wants it like, NOW, mindfulness does miracles for my psyche. It shows me how to move back a bit and reevaluate my position. It relieves stress, anger and negative feelings, and it makes me feel and appreciate the present a lot more. I will continue with mindfulness as long as this life throws me around in a world of appearances that are definitely not always easy on me.
