Mindfulness - help?

[emjay]

I think we're looking at the mountain from two different vantage points, sure. It's still the same mountain, I reckon.

What mindfulness I practice is on the practical level, and I don't have an overarching scheme to it. I've just grabbed some tools for my toolbox from folks who are deeper into it. And as with you, it helps keep my emotions centered and balanced. When I don't practice mindfulness, I can get to be quite a mess.

But whatever gets you through the night, it's alright, no?

Yep, indeed

[Foxaèr]

When I think mindfulness, in no way does meditation even enter the spectrum of associated words.

[Aroura]

[Foxaèr]

Ewww, Tom Cruise.

[emjay]

When I think mindfulness, in no way does meditation even enter the spectrum of associated words.

Well, as far as Buddhism is concerned, where mindfulness is basically defined as awareness of the present moment (including all thoughts, feelings, sensations etc occurring in the present moment), the most common type of Buddhist meditation (and most commonly used in Western psychology I think) is called 'Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing' and it's main purpose is to train and develop concentration on the present moment, in this case on the ever-present sensation of breathing. Then that training is supposed to be extended into daily life by concentrating on the present moment in whatever you do. So in other words, Buddhist monks for instance spend all day 'meditating' in these terms... ie being Mindful regardless of what they're doing; concentrating on the present moment only, not mental projections into the past or future... eg being mindful as they eat (aware of textures, tastes etc in the moment), as they carry out their chores, as they wash, as they take a dump... etc. And on a Buddhist retreat, people would be expected to do the same. If I didn't smoke I'd love to go on one but I don't think I'd have the mental discipline to do it (they're about two weeks long)... but it is a nice thought. As it is, I'm not mindful all the time at all, but it is nice when I am... like a mindful walk is lovely... you see things you've never seen before even after years of walking down the same roads, because you've never been fully present in the moment before... most of the time your mind is living in mental projections into the past (memories etc) or future (daydreams, fears, goals etc), which means you miss what's right there in front of you.