Mindfulness is having a moment

When I first started freelancing I found myself trying to multitask to the level of absurd. Understandably I didn’t see it this way, on the contrary I believed I was overly productive writing proposals while reading the news, replying to emails, executing projects and monitoring what’s in social media at that same moment. In intervals I was loading the washing machine and cooking while still on skype call with distant relatives that I couldn’t ‘fit in’ otherwise. The majority of this ticking off from ‘to do’ list was performed when still in pyjamas. At that time mindfulness was a foreign concept to me and just like the surrounding world I trusted that being one step ahead of others will get me to the place I imagined I wanted to be.

As Westerners, we believe in pushing up against the limits and going over them. This often results in burnouts that hit us quite unexpectedly. Our over busy lifestyle makes resting and relaxing in the present moment an unfamiliar experience, but mindfulness is actually a natural, pleasant practice.

Being in the moment includes an intention. This is done by single-tasking—doing one thing at a time and giving it your full attention. Sometimes we tend to miss the fact that it is not the goal but the journey that is important. By achieving one goal after another we keep unfulfilled and unsatisfied. The goal seeking mechanisms provides a sense of purpose which we humans so often crave for. When one practices mindfulness there is nowhere to arrive at, the journey itself is the focus. We need to trust that if undivided attention is placed here and now the rest will take care of itself.

This year the idea of Mindfulness is peeping out from every corner. It all started with JWT Worldwide, one of the world’s largest marketing communications brand’s prognosis, calling it an upcoming trend for 2014. This estimation isn’t out of nowhere. There was a visible increase of interest in holistic health practices, yoga and meditation last year. It feels that an exciting shift is happening right now as spiritualism is slowly filtering to mainstream and we start to re-assess our relationship with our lifestyles and technology.

But how did we get to feel the pressing need to revisit those concepts? The culture of inevitable exploitation of our bodies and minds and prolonged participation in the rat race collects the toll. People are giving away under the weight in every aspect of life at every corner. Escaping their fast moving careers and moving away from harmful overachieving and a pressure of ‘having it all’ at any cost.

Last week’s TIME magazine’s cover story The Mindful Revolution: The science of finding focus in a stressed-out, multitasking culture’ gave a glimpse of how mindfulness is making its way into politics, education, health care, and society. It stirred up a debate in media but ironically not the concept of mindfulness per se was the subject of the debate but the image used for portraying it. What a great example of how the society is bound to multichannel absorption and easily sidetracked towards irrelevant issues.

Noticeably a general trend of searching for the connectivness to others and nature has begun amongst people hence influx of mindfulness practices in the world around. Some already realized that this is not the path to happiness and constant need for achieving, proving to the world and ourselves can and will result in instant craving monsterity that is never fed.

A new trend of coming aback to roots has started in generation of mid 30's. They are moving away from the city, reevaluate their priorities, practice yoga and take time for self-enquiry and meditation. They significant change in valuing time, relationships and health above all has been emerging.

This year Google started offering its employees a program called Search Inside Yourself (SIY), a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training program. “Whenever we put the class online, it sells out in 30 seconds”, Mr. Chade-MengTan an engineer at Google said in The New York Times article. It only proves a great demand for holistic mindful practices all around.

So what is Mindfulness? It is unquestionably a doorway to a richer experience of life. It is in the journey that we learn, grow, and become better. By developing awareness of what is really happening inside us and around us we tackle challenges in new more creative way.

Maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. It involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there is a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to think or to feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we are sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. It can and should be applied to everything from life choices to every day routines, because in its simplest form, mindfulness means paying attention, focusing on here and now.

Mindfulness not necessary needs to be limited to meditation and yoga. It can also be cultivated informally by focusing the attention on moment-to-moment sensations during everyday activities. It allowed me to become more aware of my thoughts and reach a sense of inner peace. As my awareness has increased, so has the peace and joy in my life.

One can practice mindfulness while walking, cooking, eating. Be fully present as it unfolds and involves all of the senses. Mindful slow cooking and eating allows to discover flavours and experiences like never before. So many of us skip meals, rush them, or eat while already doing or thinking of something different. This not only results in poor health and indigestion and impacts decisions of what we choose to eat but also in a straight line ruining our relationships with food and create emotional eating patterns. It changes the purpose of food from its nourishing role to a panacea.

It is surprisingly simple, by bringing your mind to here and now cherishing the moment, experiencing it, thinking of what is actually being done at that moment instead of planning what to do later or recollecting what was done beforehand. Living your life consciously like there was no past or future is the most powerful thing. It is worthy to keep in mind that both future and past at the time of happening were nothing but present.

Quoted by NY Times, a Vietnamese Buddhist who introduced mindfulness to Westerners, Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” Trying being mindful when meeting with people or traveling without the constant checking of your devices, photographing, using social media can be liberating. But also most importantly let’s be mindful towards ourselves.

Breathe with awareness. I have caught myself on not breathing and then taking a long deep one many times in the past. Breathing is at the core of our bodily functions which can help drastically to improve quality of our lives, the way we feel and perform. Being aware of oneself, learning how not only consciously breath, but also how to recharge the batteries and when to say stop and unplug is necessary is crucial not only for the healthy body but also healthy mind.

This transformation can be supported and accelerated by a community. Sharing insights and experience can generate even more energy of mindfulness around. But in the end it is you who needs to take care of yourself first nobody will change things for you.

Mindfulness takes a lot of work, but the good news is that the longer you practice, the easier it gets, and the more joyful your life becomes. Let’s dare to live here and now. It’s about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.

• Read more on my blog, here.