Life today is so crowded with school, work, and technology that it’s a wonder that any of us can ever get our minds to quiet down. Meditation has swept its way across the United States as an up and coming popular practice, with an outstanding number of mental and physical health benefits. Once you get down to it, actually practicing and getting your mind to calm down can be a bit trickier than originally anticipated.
For anyone that is new to the practice, or for those who simply need a reminder, here are a few helpful pointers from Lisa Caton, TCNJ’s Founder and Director of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion.
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Non-judging. Non-judging is a challenge for all of us. We always seem to be thinking about things in terms of whether we like them or not, getting caught up in our thoughts and feelings. This often leads us to see life through a biased lens, for we cannot see things as they really are. Do not judge others, and do not judge yourself.
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Patience. When we stop comparing ourselves to others, or to some preconceived notion of how or who we are supposed to be, we begin to see that there is no rush to get anywhere to become anything other than who and what we are. In mindfulness, patience means that we allow things to unfold at their own speed.
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Beginner’s mind. How often do we go through life not seeing what is happening around us? A beginner’s mind reminds us that every moment is a new moment. A beginner’s mind is receptive to new possibilities and prevents us from getting stuck in the rut of the familiar or of our sense of expertise.
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Trusting ourselves. Mindfulness is about developing trust in yourself and your feelings. It is about listening to your body and your intuition for guidance. The more we cultivate this trust in our own being, the easier it becomes to trust other people and see their basic goodness.
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Non-striving. Non-striving is about being fully present in the moment. It is very difficult to be in the present moment if we are focused about concerns of the future. When we accept where we are at this moment without striving, we are able to see what is happening in the present moment more clearly. Non-striving is about showing up and doing what needs to be done while letting go of concerns about the outcome.
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Acceptance. Acceptance means we are able to let go of preconceived notions of how we would like things to be in order to see them as they are.
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Letting go. As human beings, we have a tendency to want to hold onto certain feelings and to avoid others. Through our mindfulness practice, we let go of all judgements in order to be more fully in the moment. Feelings and thoughts come and go. When we see ourselves holding onto or resisting thoughts, we remind ourselves to just notice them without judgement.
If this is something that interests you, TCNJ holds free drop in sessions three times a week at the Spiritual Center. (I lead sessions on Tuesday mornings!!) These sessions are open to all levels, from beginner to advanced. We like to create a warm, welcome environment, so stop by during any of the following times!
Monday: 6:30pm – 7pm
Tuesday: 8:30am – 9am
Thursday: 7pm – 7:30pm