Paul Jacobson

The American Bar Association has an article on the value of meditation.  According to certain studies quoted in the article, meditation is becoming increasingly popular in the United States as a way to be more grounded in an increasingly frantic business world.  I wrote about the value of some form of meditative activity a little while ago and I think it is worth returning to this topic briefly.

One of the central principles in the practice of meditation (and it is a practice, not something that just happens once and need not be repeated any time soon) is the principle of mindfulness.  According to Wikipedia:

Mindfulness is the practice whereby a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. Mindfulness is applied to both bodily actions and the mind's own thoughts and feelings. In Buddhism, the second kind of mindfulness is considered a prerequisite for developing insight and wisdom. Right Mindfulness is the seventh path from the Noble Eightfold Path, which is in its turn the fourth of the Four Noble Truths.

The value of practicing mindfulness is that it can give rise to greater awareness of what is going on around you and, more importantly, what is going on internally.  Not only will you start to notice your emotions and how they may affect your judgment, you will also start to notice early signs of things that could become problematic in the future (for example, aches and pains that could develop into more serious health problems).

Practicing mindfulness is not a complicated or esoteric activity that has to involve clouds of incense and strange music.  Practicing mindfulness starts and ends with you simply bringing your attention to what is going on right now, both within and around you.  So how do you feel right this moment?  Are there any aches and pains?  Are you feeling anxious about a meeting, angry about an encounter or blissfully happy that you are doing the work of your dreams?  What about your immediate environment?  Is it hot, cold and is there pleasant music playing in the cubicle next door?  Another term for mindfulness could easily be 'awareness'.  Be more aware of what is going on.  Another important thing is to begin immediately and when you find that your attention has drifted, simply bring it back to what is going on right now.

In a way, meditation is really a process of being mindful.  Often people who meditate will set aside some time to sit in a quiet space and become intensely aware of what is going on in that moment with particular reference to their inner state.  One practice is to let all mental activity just fade away until you find yourself completely quiet and almost blank.  If you are interested in starting some form of meditation then I recommend Jack Kornfield's "Meditation for Beginners".  Kornfield is a fantastic teacher and his books and CDs are easy to understand and absorb.

(via basquette case)

Tags: meditation, mindfulness, jack kornfield, day to day practice