Why mindfulness?

We can’t rely on material possessions, our bank accounts, or even our relationships with others to be happy. Consider how Viktor Frankl — captured and held at Auschwitz, stripped of all worldly possessions and forced to live in the most unbearable conditions — could live with contentment and at peace. Whilst countless stories of celebrities and professional athletes — who have seemingly achieved all accounts of external success — battle depression and fail to find such peace. I believe — as have many others for thousands of years — that it’s the quality of our minds shapes the quality of our lives.

On autopilot

To cope in this complex world, our minds have evolved by making infinite predictions about how any given situation might play out. These predictions take place without us even knowing. They help to ration our conscious energy. Often these predictions are invaluable, but at other times they’re not. Think about driving a car or even walking down the street. We’ve internalised a series of actions and patterns, whilst our mind and senses are equipped to continually scan our external environment – to inform what to do next, and identify any actions. These events take place without too much conscious involvement, saving us precious energy. Positive patterns at play.

On the other hand, we can make predictions about a situation which turn out to be incorrect or not helpful, and this can inadvertently lead to suffering or dissatisfaction. Consider the following example.

We see a good friend passing by on the other side of the street. We shout their name and attempt to get their attention. But, nothing. They ignore us and continue moving at pace. Scenario 1 – we tell ourselves we must have upset them, and they no longer wish to be friends. Scenario 2 – they’re had an upsetting morning, have their headphones in, and are rushing to get to somewhere important.

Same event, different predictions. Where one scenario leaves us relatively unfazed, the other takes us to a place of suffering. The predictions are informed by our past experiences and social norms. We’re left operating in a form of ‘autopilot’ where our perception of reality is experienced through a lens of subjectivity.

Becoming the witness

Like with any tool, our predictions autopilot have their uses, but at other times we need to reach for something else.

Mindfulness provides a more objective lens through which to experience reality. It offers the opportunity to slow down and create some space between external events and our internal processing and response. Mindfulness helps us adopt a witness perspective. The intention isn’t to fight the thoughts or events that we experience, but instead to develop a more constructive relationship with them.

The simplest way to begin experiencing this witness perspective is to simply sit and observe our thoughts, feelings and emotions – with a mindset of non-judgement and acceptance. This is ‘meditation’ in its simplest form. Beyond this formal meditation practice, a range of mindfulness exercises can be practised throughout the day to help us tap into that more objective lens of reality.

The mental space we experience through mindfulness practices helps us detach from the troubling thoughts that often lead us to feel some sort of suffering. Over time, we realise that we are not our thoughts. We are simply experiencing them. We can let go of the suffocating emotional rawness of a moment, allowing a more objective understanding of a situation to emerge.

Exploring our inner wisdom

Even for the busiest of minds, mindfulness meditation can help us gain a glimpse into the stillness and quiet that exists within us all. In this sense, meditation isn’t really an activity at all. It’s more the cessation of all other activities. Even within the momentary silence between the end of one breath, and the beginning of the next, we may experience a feeling of calm and tranquillity. We realise that becoming calm is not something we seek externally, it’s already inside. It is our original nature.

As we develop a practice where we’re in touch with this original nature more often, we become more connected with our intuition and inner wisdom. Wisdom simply being the ability to follow our own advice. When a friend is in desperate need, we’re able to look within to offer words of advice to help them navigate their challenges. But we often don’t take the time to seek this advice for ourselves, let alone follow it. Formal meditation practices and adopting an attitude of mindfulness help us seek out this space and stillness to tap into this wisdom.

Ultimately, this practice is about seeking insight into the true nature of our minds. We’re evolving our relationships with thoughts, viewing events more objectively, and getting closer to our inner wisdom. Operating with less judgement, more acceptance and an understanding of the impermanent nature of life’s events. These insights offer the foundation for evolving our relationship with stress, anxiety, self-doubt and many other emotional and mental challenges we encounter. Leading us to work towards our goals in a healthier, more sustainable, and enjoyable way.