SESSION 1:

INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS

PDF text downloadable here Session 1 Introduction to Mindfulness – Summary

Why the need for mindfulness?

In our modern fast paced society, with multi-tasking, electronic speeds and 24/7 networking, we tend to lose touch with ourselves, and with what matters. We forget to notice the beauty around us, in nature, in the eyes of our loved ones, the taste of an orange… The good news is that we can train ourselves to be more present.

Together in this course, we are going to explore practices that the Dalai Llama calls “the science of the mind”, a training in the foundation of mindfulness:

• You will learn to be mindful with your breath and your body, to bring a healing and liberating attention to your feelings and emotions, and to your thought patterns and states of mind.
• You will be invited to start a practice at home and to weave mindfulness into your life

What is meditation ?

“In its simplest and most general sense, meditation is a mental discipline involving attention regulation or concentration.”

Meditation is also used in a generic sense to cover a wide range of mental activities. There are many ways to meditate, and there are many techniques of meditation. The best technique is the one that works for you.

A meditation technique is simply what we do when we meditate. We may direct our attention to various objects, such as the breath or body, a mantra, a thought or prayer, a visualisation or mental image, a physical object, a sense of being or stillness.

Traditionally, meditation is practiced to awaken us beyond the conditioned mind and habitual thinking, so the nature of reality can be revealed to us.

What is mindfulness ?

Very simply, mindfulness is defined as “paying attention to the present moment without judgement, and is characterised by interest, friendliness and clear seeing”.  It is an invitation to be present in our life.

Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist monk who has created a mindfulness community in the south of France, Plum Village)

“Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united. Mindfulness is the energy that helps us to know what is going on in the present moment. I drink water and I know that I am drinking water. Drinking the water is what is happening.

Mindfulness brings concentration. When we drink water mindfully, we concentrate on drinking. If we are concentrated, life is deep, and we have more joy and stability. We can drive mindfully, we can cut carrots mindfully, we can shower mindfully. When we do things this way, concentration grows. When concentration grows we gain insight into our lives.”

What is presence?

Tara Brach –  “Presence is not some exotic state that we need to search for or manufacture. In the simplest terms, it is the felt sense of wakefulness, openness and tenderness that arises when we are fully here and now with our experience. You’ve surely tasted presence, even if you didn’t call that. Perhaps you’ve felt it lying awake in bed and listening to crickets on a hot summer night. You might have sensed presence while walking alone in the woods. You might have arrived in full presence as you witnessed someone dying or being born. Presence is the awareness that is intrinsic to our nature. It is immediate and embodied, perceived through our senses.”

When we approach meditation practice, attitude is everything, in particular, the quality of sincerity we bring to our practice: rather than adding another “should” to our list, we choose to practice because we care deeply about connecting with our innate capacity for presence, clarity and inner peace.

Another key supportive attitude is unconditional friendliness toward the whole meditative process: very often, we enter meditation with some idea of the kind of inner experience we should be having and judgement about “not doing right”. In fact, there is no right meditation. Rather I invite you to give permission for the meditative experience to be whatever it is, and to trust that in time your practice will carry you home to a sense of wholeness and freedom.

What are the benefits of training in mindfulness?

There is an old saying that awareness is like a container of water. If you place a tablespoon of salt into a small container of water, let’s say an expresso cup, the water will be too salty to drink. But if you place it into a much larger container, for example a bucket of water, then the water won’t taste as salty. We have simply changed the ratio of water to salt.

Awareness is like that container of water. When we cultivate mindfulness or awareness, that is when we increase the mind’s capacity for being aware or mindful, we are able to adjust the ratio of the experience of awareness (the water) to the object of our awareness (the salt). What we are doing, is strengthening our mind and integrating our brain: growing the linkages among different regions in the brain, strengthening the brain’s ability to regulate our emotions, thoughts, attention and behaviour, and learning to live a life with more flexibility and freedom.

Science shows that this expanding awareness also brings a deeper sense of connection and meaning to everyday experience, and makes us healthier.

We might not get to notice all these benefits immediately, however there are two benefits that new meditators will notice fairly early on in their practice: The first one is improved concentration and focus , the second benefit is that it helps us be less yanked around by our emotions.

People are drawn to mindfulness training for a wide range of reasons. So for many it is because of a sense of stress and wanting to relax and improve their sleep, some are struggling with physical or mental illness, others have problems in their relationships, others have lost a sense of direction in their life…

The poet Rumi asked: “Do you pay regular visits to yourself?”

And a large part of this training is about paying regular visits to ourselves, to deepen our listening presence, so we can become clearer on what matters to us.

How to practice mindfulness?

The basic training is really simple, it’s a training in presence. We practice by receiving all the domains of experience with a mindful and open attention. These domains include the breath, physical sensations, feelings, thoughts and awareness itself.

Because our minds are often busy and reactive, it is helpful to use skillful means that quiet the mind and allow us to come home to presence.

At the beginning of each meditation, we can take a few minutes to intentionally awaken our senses.

Then we place our attention on one anchor that allows us to quiet and collect the mind. We will explore various anchors next week.

At the end of each sitting, we can let go of the skillful means, let go of all doings, and simply rest in natural presence.

While it is a simple practice, it requires a regular discipline and a strong commitment to sustain it. To stay motivated, it is really helpful to remember our initial intention, the reason why we were drawn to meditation in the first place. It’s about getting in touch with some yearning to be all that we can be, manifesting our innate potential. It is embodied and heartfelt.

It begins with pausing: stopping the doing, listening to our heart and remembering what matters to us.

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