Mindfulness is in the news in a big way this week with the announcement of a reunion of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at a star-studded concert to benefit David Lynch’s Transcendental Meditation campaign. The David Lynch Foundation is raising funds to teach one million at-risk children to meditate — giving them life-long tools to overcome stress and violence and promote peace and success in their lives.
Bravo!
Now…what about YOU?
Are you meditating? Are you finding ways to be more present in your life? Are you using the news all around you as a personal cue to slow down and pay attention to what’s going on WITH YOU?
When times are scary, we tend to focus on the bad news all around us. We’d be much better off watching how the bad news affects us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. We can learn a great deal about what boosts our own stress levels and how we adjust to change by using the news to see ourselves and our responses more clearly.
Want to be more mindful? Great. But remember this: you don’t have to meditate to become more mindful!
Meditation can be powerful–no doubt about it. But the emphasis on meditation sometimes obscures what we’re really needing–MINDFULNESS!
If the meditation part just isn’t appealing to you or you’re looking for a simpler way to bring more awareness into your day, I hope you’ll consider stepping away from the “working on mindfulness” effort and dive into the “playing with mindfulness” games that characterize my Real-World Mindfulness Training approach.
Kids are naturally mindful. They know how to be in the moment. After all, in order to play a make-believe game or see animal shapes in the clouds or make up a new dance step in your bedroom, you’ve got to be present. As they get older, however–and more immersed in the world of adult expectations–they lose their ease and have to make a greater effort to pay attention to what’s going on right now. Once they are old enough to have regrets about the past and worries about the future, they need to be reminded to be calm, clear and creative.
Just like you.
Don’t make mindfulness hard. Don’t turn it into a big project that you have to wake up early for.
Instead, begin simply and have a little fun with it. After all, mindfulness isn’t rocket science, and it doesn’t have to be done with a serious expression or painful posture. It’s the most natural and potentially joyful thing in the world!
If you’re looking for some lighthearted tips and triggers to remind yourself to be present to the wonders around and within you, I invite you to take a look at some of the surprisingly fun ways you can stir up more mindfulness every day.
3 responses so far ↓
Archie // March 7, 2009 at 7:05 pm |
Very nice post. Thing is, TM is effortless transcending to automatically experience and draw up into the nervous system the infinite reservoir of pure, blissful awareness at the source of thought deep within the mind of everyone. “Being present” or “being mindful” are the end results of effortless transcending, not the path.
As a very happy TM practitioner for 35 years, I can tell you, having tried many other forms of ‘meditation’ that TM stands alone. But you don’t have to take my word for it. For the last 40+ years more than 600 peer-reviewed studies have been published on the benefits of TM, some of them comparing TM with other meditations. TM out performs every other technique and/or philosophy.
I’ve taught TM for 25 years and several students have recently come to learn TM after trying Mindfulness. To a person, they always say that TM is effortless; TM is completely different; TM gives them the results — bliss, happiness, tranquility, more vitality, clearer thinking, better grades, relief from physical and emotional ailments — that elluded them with Mindfulness.
My purpose in writing is not to dis Mindfulness, although I guess it may seem to be that this is just what I’m doing. I feel that any time we take to renew and refresh is beneficial in some way. But if you want to really get to the heart of the matter — learn Transcendental Meditation as taught by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I promise you will experience the difference.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Toni // March 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm |
I have been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for over 36 years. Its uniqueness lies in its utilization of the natural tendency of the mind. One follows the simple instructions, and the mind and body settle down to a deep state of rest. And research shows that this rest is beneficial to every area of life. David Orme-Johnson has a great site on the uniqueness of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
I thought the comment in the original post about kids losing something as they get older was particularly relevant to this discussion. At 61 I feel younger and more turned on to life than I felt in my teens (before I learned the Transcendental Meditation technique).
My father practiced regularly the last 25 years of his life. He would laughingly tell me whenever he attempted new things during this period (like volunteering at a home for retarded adults), “I blame you for this; I never would have done this if I weren’t practicing the TM technique.”
Maya // March 8, 2009 at 10:37 am |
Archie and Toni,
Thanks so much for your comments! I truly appreciate hearing your perspective. I also agree that TM is a far more simple and effective approach to meditation than most other forms, and many practitioners really appreciate the fact that they can experience almost immediate results.
But I have also worked with past TM practitioners in my practice–those who did TM for years and were looking for something different, but also something enjoyable, immediate, and leading to bliss in the same effortless sort of way. They found my approach (Real-World Mindfulness Training) to be a great alternative and several years later, they are still using the exercises I taught them rather than the traditional TM practice.
The point is not to draw lines in the sand but to understand that we are all free to choose what works for us. If a certain form of mindfulness meditation or specific exercises help us release our stress, worry and attachment and allow us to feel lighter, more fully aware and in the moment, we should celebrate that.
When that very same exercise is not longer serving us, we have no need to remain attached to it–we are free to move on and try new things. And if we just can’t get into meditation at all–for whatever reason–it’s great to know that there are other eyes-wide-open ways to increase awareness and lead us to that same state of acceptance of what is and joy in just being present.
More awareness, more bliss–these are good for everyone. The way we get there is up to us.
Thanks for sharing your good experiences with TM! I know many readers will find your comments helpful and valuable.
Best,
Maya