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Have you ever said to yourself “I can’t meditate, there’s no way to turn my brain off, it’s just not for me”?
Controversial opinion: Even if you haven’t connected with formal ‘meditation’, chances are you meditate without knowing it.
Have you ever felt so fully immersed in something that it’s like nothing else matters, that time itself stops? Running, sports, crafts, gardening, snowboarding. You may have heard of this phenomenon as “being in flow”. All senses are fully engaged, and your attention is completely on the present moment. This sounds a lot like meditation to me.
These experiences of flow are incredibly helpful in winding down and grounding us, giving us a rest from busy schedules and never-ending obligations. Having access to this ‘flow’ is “linked with higher level of personal well-being”! This is why it’s so important to have hobbies, it’s good for you!
What if I told you that you can create this lifegiving ‘flow’ in every area of your life, by practicing your ability to live in the present moment – to meditate.
The key is to internalize the following thought:
“This isn’t bad. This isn’t good. It just is”.
Set aside all judgments, good or bad. Embrace curiosity as if you were watching your “self” from the corner of the room.
Recognize that meditation is not about “turning off”. It’s about “tuning in” to the finest details of your lived experience. It’s not about shutting the mind down into a blank white space of nothingness. It’s about aligning your mind with the present-moment existence of your body. Your body is always in the present moment, it’s your mind that likes to wander around in the past and future.
Instead of the word ‘meditation’ think of ‘nonjudgmental curiosity’. When you’re walking, allow yourself to bring your focus to each impact of your heel with the sidewalk, each counter-swing of your arm. Notice the beautiful choreography of your body as it balances itself through time and space. When you’re eating, close your eyes for a moment and focus on the aromas, textures, and flavors. When you’re washing dishes bring your mind to notice the sounds of the water and scrubby, the smell of dish soap, the hardness of the plates.
A student once asked his teacher “what is enlightenment”? The Zen master replied, “When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep”.
What this means is when you’re eating, don’t try to multitask by planning, worrying, or thinking, JUST EAT. When getting to sleep, instead of ‘going for a ride on the thought train’, focus on your breath, your body position, allow any thoughts that come up to be redirected into the ‘I’m not paying attention to you’ corner. Just sleep.
By training your mind in this way – to focus only on what’s directly in front of you – you naturally become more efficient in everything you do. When your brain is wired to exist primarily in the here and now, unnecessary anxiety disappears, and life begins to flow.
References:
Finding flow: exploring the potential for sustainable fulfillment
Written by: Mykhaylo Petrynyak, BA Psych, MACP
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