Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve dipped into mindfulness practice. One unhelpful idea that I’ve absorbed from my adventures is this one:
“Mindfulness / presence is good. Any other state of mind is bad.”
Reality, it turns out, is a bit more nuanced than this.
I’m reading a book right now called Mindwandering which is teaching me more precise language for states of mind. Let me narrate my experience this morning, using this new language:
- I woke up. Lying in bed, my mind wandered to the past, to the future, and I got a writing idea through these various associations (mind-wandering).
- I wrote in my journal, in a creative flow state (immersion).
- I decided to do some mindful walking practice and focused on the sensations of my feet on the ground (mindfulness).
- As I did this, my mind drifted to a task I wanted to do, to additions to my writing piece, to an idea to create this blog post. I did my best to bring my mind back to the present: the sensation of my feet on the ground, the beautiful clouds in the sky (oscillating between mindfulness and mind-wandering).
- On my walk, I saw that someone had put birdseed into the road (which causes birds to get hit by cars) and became angry (immersion).
- I said to myself, “Breathing in, I feel my anger. Breathing out, I hold you, my anger.” (mindfulness)
- When I came back home, I wrote this post (immersion).
All three states of mind: mindfulness, mind-wandering, and immersion are helpful at various times, and unhelpful at other times. For instance, when creativity is needed, mind-wandering allows us to access the full store of our memories and to make novel associations. However, mind-wandering can also cause us to miss the present moment. Also, ruminative worrying and negative self-talk (the inner critic) can lower our mood and make us suffer. Mindfulness is a tool we can use to detach from this unhelpful mind-wandering. Journaling and therapy are other tools.
When execution is needed, full immersion is helpful. When I’m rock climbing or writing, I want to be immersed, “in flow,” rather than watching my experience mindfully from above. However, when I’m angry or sad, or in the grip of an addiction, mindfulness can allow me to step back from my experience and interrupt destructive behaviors.
Mindfulness helps foster appreciation and gratitude. When I become mindful of the tea farmers as I drink my tea, or mindful of my feet as I walk, I’m grateful for them. Mindfulness can also help with negative emotions. For example, when I became mindful of my anger about the bird-seed this morning, it became a little less intense. I was able to get some perspective on it.
I can brainstorm ways to address my anger: I can accept that I can’t control the seed-scatterer, I can remind myself that he probably has good intentions, and/or I can attempt to talk to him.
So, each state of mind is kind of like tool, to be used at the right place and the right time.
Thanks to Api for suggesting the title, and also another kind of mind: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
danscreativeoulet 