A WhatsApp message here, a FaceTime call there. Earbuds in, music playing. Phone in one hand, a nut bar in the other. Chewing while walking to the bus stop. And where's the mindfulness? In today's post we explain what mindfulness is and why it holds such an important place in Buddhist teaching for a fulfilled life.
The monk and mindfulness
Do you know the story of a monk who was asked why he always stayed so focused and calm despite having so many duties? He said: “When I stand, I stand; when I walk, I walk; when I sit, I sit; when I sleep, I sleep; (...)” The questioner replied that surely everyone does that, so it's nothing new. The monk disagreed and answered: “When you stand, you're already running; when you walk, you've already arrived; when you sit, you're already striving on; (...)”
Long story short: we don't carry out activities mindfully and in the here and now; instead, mentally we're always one step ahead.
Why are we mindless?
In our fast-moving world we have unlearned how to concentrate fully on just one thing. That's largely down to digitalisation: we're reachable at any time, and there's constantly countless news on the internet that we want to discover. That's why people now also talk about the fear of missing out (“FOMO” = “The Fear Of Missing Out”). This is why being mindful is especially hard for us today: discovering things that don't directly grab our attention, concentrating only on the task at hand, listening fully to the person in front of us.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness practice comes from Buddhist teaching and includes much more than training attention: patience, acceptance, tolerance, trust, gratitude and kindness belong to it just as much! These values show you how important the teaching of mindfulness is. It's not without reason that Buddhists believe it is the foundation of a fulfilled life!
Why is mindfulness so important?
Mindfulness is important because it shows you that you have control over your life! You decide which things you direct your attention to. That way you can concentrate 120% on the tasks that really matter and simply leave unimportant things aside. In the long run that saves you not only time but also mental energy! Mindfulness teaches you to look after yourself and your needs! Only when you're mindful with yourself do you notice small differences, like eating out of hunger and eating out of appetite. Your body signals when it's up for exercise and when it'd rather not!
How can I practise mindfulness?
It's especially effective if you build mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. To do that, choose a special spot that's well suited to relaxing. The time of day should also always stay the same: if you're a morning person, right after getting up works well. If you're an evening person, before going to bed. To start with, it's perfectly enough if you sit down for 'just' a few minutes. Over time you get used to your practice and can increase the length. Sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes and let your thoughts wander.
Thinking of 'nothing' is almost impossible - the aim is to let thoughts pass by like clouds in the sky, without judging them.
It can also help to focus on your breath.
Besides regular mindfulness exercises, fasting is also a traditional way to practise mindfulness. By going without food and concentrating on your own body, you train your attention too. Bet you'll perceive your food completely differently after fasting? For this we recommend the soup cleanse with one warm meal a day.
One WhatsApp message here, a FaceTime call there. Earbuds in, music on. Phone in one hand, nut bar in the other. Chewing while walking to the bus stop. And where does mindfulness fit in? In today's post we explain what mindfulness is and why it plays such a big role in Buddhist teaching for a fulfilled life.
The monk and mindfulness
Do you know the story of the monk who was asked why he always stayed so focused and calm despite his many duties? He said: "When I stand, I stand; when I walk, I walk; when I sit, I sit; when I sleep, I sleep; (...)" The questioner replied that everybody does that, so it was nothing new. The monk disagreed and answered: "When you stand, you are already running; when you walk, you have already arrived; when you sit, you are already striving onwards; (...)"
Long story short: we don't do things mindfully or live in the here and now, instead we are always one step ahead in our heads.
Why are we not mindful?
In our fast-paced world we have forgotten how to concentrate fully on just one thing. A big part of this is down to digitalisation: we are reachable at any time and there is constant, endless news online that we want to discover. That's why people now even talk about the fear of missing out ("FOMO"). This is why being mindful is especially hard today: discovering things that don't immediately grab our attention, concentrating only on the task at hand, listening fully to the person in front of us.
What is mindfulness?
The practice of mindfulness comes from Buddhist teaching and involves much more than training your attention: patience, acceptance, tolerance, trust, gratitude and kindness are just as much a part of it! These values show you how important mindfulness is. It's no coincidence that Buddhists believe this is the foundation of a fulfilled life!
Why is mindfulness so important?
Mindfulness is important because it shows you that you are in control of your life! You decide what you pay attention to. That way you can focus 120% on the tasks that really matter and simply leave the unimportant stuff aside. In the long run that saves you not only time, but also mental energy! Mindfulness teaches you to look after yourself and your needs! Only when you are mindful with yourself do you notice small differences, like eating out of hunger versus eating out of appetite. Your body tells you when it is up for exercise and when it would rather not!
How can I practise mindfulness?
It is especially effective to build mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. Pick a special spot that is well suited for relaxing. The time of day should also always be the same: if you are a morning person, right after getting up works well. If you are an evening person, before going to bed. To start with, it is perfectly enough to sit down for 'just' a few minutes. Over time you get used to your practice and can extend the duration. Sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes and let your thoughts wander.
Thinking about 'nothing' is almost impossible - the aim is to let thoughts drift past like clouds in the sky, without judging them.
It can also help to focus on your breath.
Regular mindfulness exercises aside, fasting is also a traditional way to practise mindfulness. By going without food and focusing on your own body, you train your attention too. Bet you'll perceive your food completely differently after fasting? We recommend the soup cleanse where you have 5 juices a day as a juice cleanse and a soup as one warm meal per day.
