"In many ways mindfulness is much like gardening - we have to prepare the ground, plant the seeds, ensure that they are adequately watered and nourished and then wait patiently for results"
- Segal, Williams & Teasdale, 2014 - |
Mindfulness classes are very "experiential"; they are focused on learning from direct, moment-by-moment experience. This is in contrast to, for example, learning about mindfulness by reading a book or even talking about mindfulness. In practice, this experiential learning about what it means to be mindful ("paying attention, on purpose, non-judgmentally, in the present moment, with kindness and with curiosity, to things as they are") means returning again and again to how the breath and the body are experienced in each moment.
|
Because of the nature in which our brains have evolved, thinking necessarily involves creating storylines about our experience. Unfortunately, thinking is sometimes just this, an unreliable storyline! Narratives about the events that happen in our lives may very easily ensnare us, masquerade as the truth and propel us toward unskilful action if we rely on them in their entirety. Knowing experience, deeply, in the present moment and directly through the senses of the body allows us to develop a relationship with experience in which we may see the events in our lives more clearly and make wise choices about how to respond.
Vertical Divider
|