Wherever you go, there you are Book Review
Author: Jon Kabat-Zinn
What is mindfulness? Why mindfulness?
“Mindfulness” might be word yet unknown to toddlers, with good reason. As kids, we are often immersed in the task at hand, curious at novel explorations blooming in daily excursions. As we mature, we are introduced to stimulations — interactions, commitments, responsibilities, and pursuits. With multiple life events unfolding at the same page, having attentive focus at the present moment would be a lifelong practice. “Mindfulness”, paying unjudging attention in the present moment, is often associated with meditation. In this book, the author does not preach the rigid principles of meditation, but rather mindsets of mindfulness that can be implemented along with the daily tasks at hand.
“The joy of mindfulness is that nothing else has to happen for this moment to be complete.” By acknowledging that present moments are building pillars of the future, we realize that being present and engaged with the tasks at hand stages all future preparations. Our mind might be busy planning future pursuits and evaluating past experiences, comparing them with expectations and standards. “By suspending all judging and let each moment be as it is, there would be true stillness and liberation.” Early preparation — taking action at the present itself is a stabilizing mindful pursuit, yet sometimes the brain associates future uncertainties with apprehension, mostly out of fear. By realizing that the best preparation for the future is staying rooted for the task at hand itself, and that unnecessary pondering doesn’t lead us anywhere, I guess we can all be more focused and serene in our present pursuits.
Attitudes and mindsets
Certain attitudes and mindsets support mindfulness. Trust, generosity, voluntary simplicity, slowing down among others are elaborated with actionable counsels. I guess these virtues enable the heart for greater acceptance, gratefulness, and compassion among our own experiences and those of others, further supporting our journey in practicing mindfulness day to day.
- Trust — the feeling of conviction and confidence that things will unfold in a dependable framework. If we place trust in a process or ideal, we can find a powerful stabilizing force out of openness, security, and balance.
- Generosity — Share the fullness of your being, your best self, your enthusiasm, vitality, spirit, and above all, your presence.
- Voluntary simplicity — Simple abundance; less is more.
- Slowing down.
- Inquiry and mindfulness — The author advises to ask ourselves our motivation behind embarking on a journey of mindful meditation. “You need a vision that is truly your own.” As challenges of all forms, duration, and sizes emerge in different life stages, ranging from the trivial to the profound to the overwhelming, meeting these challenges with mindfulness and inquiry helps us continuously navigate the waves as a “peaceful warrior.” “What is this thought, this dilemma?” “Am I willing to acknowledge the problem, and deal with it?”
Forms of meditation
“Meditation practice is the slow, disciplined work of digging trenches, working in vineyards, bucketing out of a pond.” It is the work of moments and the work of a lifetime, all wrapped into one. Taking it slow, one step at a time, with ordinary encounters in life as practice can help us be more in touch with our being. “Using ordinary, repetitive occasions as an invitation to practices of mindfulness makes us more rooted.” Laundry, washing the dishes, taking the same route back home, cooking a meal — I found that these experiences can be magnified and joyous as we are more present in these moments. Discipline and attentiveness in needed in these daily tasks, occasions to slow down and be more in touch with ourselves.
- The mountain meditation: Sitting crossed legged on the ground, invite yourself to be a breathing mountain, unwavering in stillness — centered and rooted.
- Yoga: Just being on the floor, in touch with the ground, tends to take the body to a deeper level of stillness. During stretches and mindful breathing, remind yourself that this is your body today, and to be in touch with it.
- The Walking meditation: Take each step as it comes, enjoying bodily sensations and awareness of the moment.
Book Review:
The “unjudging and focused attitude dedicated to living the present moment fully” is a practice for life, I believe. From the mundane household chores, working discipline, to interpersonal interactions, this mindset invites us to glimpse the fuller picture of each experience. In fast paced societies or for progress-oriented cultures, pursuits are often busy and stimulating. We are often offered multiple alternatives, and sometimes we overcommit our capacity in terms of time management, work commitment, or interpersonal interactions. Less is more, and sometimes we only realize this when caught in midst of predicaments, when candles are burning at both ends. Only when we pay unperturbed attention to the one task at hand are we able to maximize the moment.
Since university, I plan out short term weekly blueprints and longer-term semester commitments. More recently, with unprecedented events unfolding, I found that multiple events being rescheduled and extended. (French examinations, CFA, hiking trips, back to school…) With more time to prepare and build up the learning curve, and flexibility to allocated excess leisure time, I found that the experiences itself becomes much more enjoyable, probably because of the more relaxed ambience and having not to worry about forthcoming deadlines. Being attentive at the present task by taking it slow, and also ceasing unnecessary ponders about future uncertainties contributed to such a mindset and mood transformation.
Less is more — yet sometimes it takes recollection, a sudden loss, unprecedented changes, or third-party observation to remind us this simple mindset:)
