| Have you ever been driving and not remembered how | | | | sense and all in a matter of seconds! Of course, you're |
| you got to your destination? It's as if there was some | | | | probably thinking now, "oh, now I can see why others |
| sort of blank period where your mind had wondered | | | | can get some things so wrong". Remember, this |
| off somewhere. You were subconsciously still steering, | | | | applies to us all! |
| accelerating, braking and navigating but you're darned if | | | | A classic example is when people have been through |
| you can remember the trip! What exactly were you | | | | a traumatic experience like an armed hold-up. When |
| thinking of? How were you feeling? | | | | the police interview the victims the descriptions given |
| Our thoughts and feelings are prevalent throughout the | | | | of what the armed bandits looked like can differ |
| day and carry through to our sleeping hours. Are you | | | | dramatically. |
| totally aware of what your mind does as you are | | | | Buddha's "four foundations of mindfulness" look at |
| washing the dishes, driving a car, playing sport, or do | | | | encouraging us to be aware of the process our mind |
| you let it wonder? Have you ever sat down to eat a | | | | goes through. |
| meal with others, only to find that you've finished the | | | | 1. Contemplation of the body, |
| whole plate when they might have just had a few | | | | 2. Contemplation of feeling, |
| mouthfuls? The embarrassing feeling as you say to | | | | 3. Contemplation of the state of mind, and |
| yourself "I must have looked like I was gulping the meal | | | | 4. Contemplation of the phenomena. |
| down in some sort of race". The very act of being | | | | We therefore need to anchor the mind firstly in clear |
| mindful while you were eating may well have changed | | | | perception, and then penetrate impressions without |
| how you ate. To be aware of something as you are | | | | being carried away. The idea is to actively observe |
| doing it can dramatically change the way you do it. | | | | and control the way our thoughts go. |
| Negative behaviours can become positive. | | | | This is where meditation comes into it in the Buddhist |
| I was out and about the other day and totally oblivious | | | | teachings. The practice of "stilling the mind" and |
| to my surroundings for the first part of the day. | | | | returning to our "true nature". To be constantly "aware" |
| Dropped my son off at school, came home and did | | | | of our thoughts, feelings and surroundings without |
| some washing, picked up toys, did my tax return and | | | | attaching our perceptions is the act of being "Mindful". |
| ate copious amounts of food. I can't tell you what I | | | | The Buddhists believe we can therefore be observant, |
| was thinking about, however by midday I realized that I | | | | strenuous, alert, contemplative and free of desire and |
| had to go out and get some groceries. | | | | sorrow. |
| Up and down the shopping aisles and a full basket of | | | | From the Yogi's perspective.... |
| who knows what later I ended up at the checkout. | | | | So what about the Yoga philosophy on "mindfulness". |
| There was an elderly lady before me who seemed to | | | | The Upanishads or the Yoga Sutras contains a short |
| be having a problem with her credit card and the | | | | text called the "Satipatthana Sutra" - this translates to |
| cashier did not look too impressed with her. "Hurry up!" | | | | "The Four Foundations of Awareness". This text |
| my thoughts screamed out while I stood their silently | | | | teaches how to develop a clear, continuous |
| fuming. | | | | awareness of your body, your thoughts and your |
| Suddenly I became aware of my thoughts and feelings | | | | underlying emotions or state of mind as they come |
| and really had to ask myself "what am I so angry | | | | and go throughout the day. |
| about?" "Why am I so impatient when I'm not really in a | | | | The term "mindfulness" in the Yoga Sutras refers to |
| hurry to get anywhere". I had been 'mindlessly' going | | | | consciously knowing what you are doing, as you are |
| through my day up until this point and quite obviously | | | | doing it. It also refers to the concept of being able to |
| somehow, had become quite irritated. It was at this | | | | see your thoughts and feelings objectively and |
| point that I became "Mindful". | | | | therefore breaking any grip they may have over you |
| "Mindfulness" is a relatively new concept in Western | | | | at the time. It is the act of being aware as you go |
| Philosophy. The term has been around for a long time | | | | about your daily life, creating an inner calm (as can be |
| in the East and is an intrinsic part of Buddhism and | | | | achieved through meditation) and extending this to the |
| Yoga practice. | | | | outer world of your life. |
| Mindfulness from the Buddhist's perspective... | | | | By more closely observing our inner reality and being |
| So what is "mindfulness" to the Buddhist practitioner? In | | | | aware of some of the automatic reactions we tend to |
| Buddhism there are what is referred to as the "Four | | | | gravitate toward we can then start mentally changing |
| Noble Truths", these are like the concepts Buddhism | | | | our attachment to any negative ones. |
| embraces. | | | | What does this tells us? |
| The "Fourth Noble Truth" is the "Noble Eightfold Path" ... | | | | To me it signifies that "mindfulness" is a very useful |
| the view is "to free oneself from suffering by following | | | | tool to use in our everyday life towards achieving |
| the Eight Fold Path". | | | | what to the individual, happiness and fulfillment may be. |
| The seventh factor of this "Eight Fold Path" is "Right | | | | It can be utilized to help understand the very nature of |
| Mindfulness". In the Buddhist beliefs this is the controlled | | | | the mind and help us understand our true selves. |
| and perfected sense of cognition. The ability to see | | | | From the day we are born, the way we are nurtured, |
| something as it is ...clearly. | | | | what we are taught and the environment we live in, all |
| How then, do you see something as it is clearly? | | | | contribute to what our idea of what happiness or |
| How we understand, diagnose and solve problems is | | | | fulfillment is. We all have some pleasant and some |
| our cognitive ability. How you see and understand | | | | unpleasant feelings and thoughts. By the practice of |
| something may be totally different from how someone | | | | being "mindful" it is what we do with these feelings and |
| else sees it. You know the feeling when someone just | | | | thoughts that can create the difference towards being |
| can't see your point of view! Our individual perception | | | | "happy" or "unhappy". |
| produces an impression of something that may be | | | | As with the shopping centre experience, once you |
| totally different from the perception of another. | | | | become aware of what you are thinking and feeling |
| We all have an "original impression" in relation to any | | | | as you are doing it you can consciously change your |
| experience. We then unknowingly develop concepts | | | | mindset. |
| by connecting this to past thoughts and experiences. | | | | The very act of being mindful may therefore change |
| Our wonderful minds then join these concepts and | | | | how we treat ourselves and other people. And we all |
| build and weave complex interpretations into them. | | | | know that it is part of our collective human nature to |
| This naturally goes beyond the facticity of the "original | | | | treat others how we would like to be treated |
| impression" and we have therefore lost it. | | | | ourselves - don't we? |
| The result can be seeing things in quite an obscured | | | | |