As I learned from the late Michael Stone teaching: “In meditation we are cultivating a capacity for stillness, intimacy and coming into contact with our basic goodness. Breath by breath we work to hold a quality of courage, closeness, we turn toward our experience in a friendly way with generosity, we connect rather than escape”
During meditation we place our attention on an object; from sound to the breath to sensations in the body, and eventually moods and our mental states. The objects of sound or breath are helpful because both are always present and physical. They exist within the body and are available for us to practice with at any time.
Our attention inevitably wanders and goes to stories about the past or present. By bringing ourselves back to the flow of breath, we work toward disentangling ourselves from fantasies and thoughts. Rather than reinforcing old habits and rumination, we return to the object of attention; our breath.
Mindfulness means, among other things, being present and observant to what is happening inside of us and around us but without going into the story of it all. It is about paying attention to what emerges in our inner and outer world and be with that experience with compassion and empathy.
Practicing mindfulness meditation presents a powerful tool to achieve this state of mind and state of emotion and move away from the unnecessary suffering that our reactivity so often causes.
If we are able to choose to stay present by being observant, we are less likely to react and act mindfully instead.
Our lives can only happen in the present moment; acting from a place of awareness, compassion and empathy is probably the most healing act we can do for ourselves and for others, which it is so needed in the world we live, right now.
Meditation allow us to change our brain, body and state of being, most important we can make this changes without having to take any physical action or are have interaction with the physical environment.
Learning to meditate might seem far-off or difficult, but often it might just be that we distance ourselves from what we need most. Taking time out of our day to focus on ourself, within, connecting with breath. At times it might be challenging and other times it might become like a creating a nest of kindness, listening inward and understanding, immersing in a cosy sweet gift.
“Mindfulness means paying attention
In a particular way: on purpose,
In the present moment non-judgmentally.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
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