Mindfulness (6 page)
Authors: Gill Hasson
There's nothing mysterious about intuition; intuition is simply being aware of and tuning in to the information your senses are signalling to you; what your ears, eyes, nose, sense of taste, sense of touch and physical sensations are communicating.
Everyone has intuition, but so often it is drowned out by all the other internal and external noise and activity that is going on in and around you. This is where mindfulness can help.
The ability to notice the subtle signals of intuition requires mindfulness; being mindful of thoughts, physical sensations and emotional responses is an important part of recognizing and attending to those signals.
But intuitive messages are often keen and quick which makes them easy to miss or interpret. Here's how to further develop your intuition:
Beginner's mind
: Your mind and body are constantly pickÂing up information from the world around you. If you can develop the ability to notice new things in whatever situation you're in, then anything that you are aware of as being overly out of place or unusual you will also recognize because your intuition is warning you.
Listen to your body
: Your body gives you information that you may not take much notice of but, if you ignore the messages, you lose out on valuable information that can let you know what is good for you and what isn't.
By being mindful of your physical feelings in everyday situations, when, for example, something doesn't feel right, or you feel unsure about something, makes you more likely to recognize that your body is warning you against something. How, for example, do you feel when you have agreed to do something that you really do not want to do? Do you feel queasy? Tense? Be mindful of those feelings.
Pay attention to the feelings, images and words that come to your mind
: Feelings of unease may be signals alerting you to potential problems. Your inner voice telling you “this isn't right” and uneasy mental images also play a part in the way your intuition speaks to you.
Becoming more aware of your emotions and feelings on an everyday basis will serve you well when the crucial messages need to get through, so pay attention!
Ignore distractions
: Focus. Once you become aware of your unease and discomfort, don't allow anything else to divert your attention. Listening to intuition is like tuning in to a radio station. You can't hear several stations all at once; you just need to hear one station clearly.
Combination of signals
: In any situation, be open to
all
the messages your intuition is communicating. Rather than interpreting a single signal (unless it is overwhelming â for example there's a strong smell of gas or smoke, the other person is very drunk, more than one person is behaving suspiciously around you etc.) be alert for a
combination
of signals. When several signals occur close together this indicates a consistent message; when all the information your senses are receiving adds up, your intuition is coming through loud and clear, so be alert for several signs that all seem to be “saying” the same thing.
An important part of intuition and mindfulness is the ability to listen.
When was the last time you actually
listened
to the sounds that are taking place around you, rather than just
heard
the sounds? Listening is different from hearing. Hearing is an ability to
perceive
sound. It's a
passive
experience. In contrast, listening is a
conscious
awareness of sound; listening is an
active
experience.
Most of the time you are surrounded by a range of environmental noises, most of which barely register in your awareness. Much like the noise inside your mind, external noises chatter on in the background and form the backdrop to your life.
Stop and notice some of the sounds around you right now; cars passing by, a plane overhead, the sound of someone talking in the next room, the birds outside. Or maybe just the sound of your breathing.
Let the sounds you hear anchor you to the present moment. There's no need to judge what you hear or analyze the sounds, just listen. Stay with the sounds. This is all about being “here and now”, nothing more. This simple mindful listening exercise can really open up your awareness to a whole new level of silence within you.
Developing your awareness through mindful listening can help you be more aware of the thoughts, experience and events that are happening in the present moment.
It can also help you interact with other people â to minimize misunderstandings and build empathy. In
Part Two
we look at mindful listening and see how it helps you to manage situations with other people more effectively.
So far, we've looked at mindful thinking and feelings; you will have learnt how to be more aware and accepting of your thoughts and feelings. You will have discovered the concept of “beginner's mind” and the need to let go of the beliefs and conclusions you came to in the past and to open yourself to new possibilities.
In
Chapter 4
we turn our attention to being mindful of what you
do
.
4
Mindful Doing
Our lives are made up of our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. At any one time of the day, you are thinking, feeling or doing. Most times you're doing all three at once!
So far, we have focused on being mindful of thoughts and feelings. Another part of being more mindful involves bringing mindfulness to what you do: to your actions and behaviour.
A good place to start is with your breathing. This might seem a bit odd, but the reason that managing your breathing is an effective mindfulness technique is because your thoughts, feelings and behaviour are interconnected. So, if you manage your breathing â the physical aspect â you will also be managing your thoughts and feelings.
Try it.
- Stop breathing for five seconds (to “reset” your breath).
- Breathe in slowly, then breathe out
even more slowly
, if necessary, saying to yourself “I am breathing in. I am breathing out”. - Keep doing this and be aware that it's the
out-breath
that will slow everything down. - As you draw your next breath, be aware of the rise of your chest and/or abdomen on the in-breath and the sensation in your nostrils on the out-breath.
Your breathing can help to slow everything down, bring you into the present moment and give you the chance to be aware of what you think and feel and what you are doing and going to do.
Being aware of your breathing is a simple thing you can do anywhere, anytime to induce mindfulness.
There are a number of ways you can focus on your breath â you can start by being aware that, like the ocean waves, your breaths come and go. Each time you breathe out, you can let go and release your thoughts about the past and future. Just focus on breathing in ⦠then breathing out. Certainly, you will notice thoughts arising as you breathe, thoughts about what you have to do tomorrow, or something that happened last week. The thoughts might be pleasant or unpleasant, but whatever form they take, don't try and force them away, just allow them to come and go, without judgement, without feeling you have to give them any attention.
If your thoughts do get the better of you, simply continue to come back to your breathing, which, because it always occurs in the here and now, will draw you into the present.
With mindful breathing, you're living in the moment. Nothing happens next. This is it. You're already there. Focusing on your breathing is an effective way of orienting yourself to the now, not because the breathing itself has some magical property, but because it's always there with you.
There are a number of ways you can practice mindful breathing. Here are three more.
1.
Breathing colour:
Start by closing your eyes. Then, take a slow, deep breath. You might like to imagine the colour of the air filling not just your lungs but your entire body. Imagine that colour (perhaps a vibrant blue or a bright red?) coursing through your body.
See the colour of your breath expand down the back of each leg, across the soles of your feet and up the front of your legs. Feel it enter your torso and move up your spine where it flows down each arm, around the back of each hand, through your palm and back up your arms to your neck.
2.
Breathing and shaking your hands:
Breathe in to the count of five. Then, blow out the air in five or six quick huffs (huh-huh-huh-huh-huh) as you pretend to shake the water off your wet hands. Repeat as often as you want to.
3.
Alternate nostril breathing:
Push one nostril closed with your finger. Take one long breath in through the open nostril, for about five seconds, then pinch that one and let go of the other, breathing out slowly. Repeat alternately. Try to breathe out for as long as possible.
Mindful breathing is like a reset button that you can push to return yourself to the present moment whenever you feel the need. Which breathing technique you use is not as important as just remembering to use one of them!
Just know that by focusing on your breathing, you are bringing your attention inward to the present moment, rather than allowing your mind to get caught up and pulled back into the past or forward into the future.
Try and practise mindful breathing and do it regularly. Spend a few minutes each day doing nothing. It might be before you get dressed in the morning, or before you get ready for bed in the evening. Perhaps there's some time and space at lunchtime? Whenever it is, just sit in silence. Become aware of your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with the silence and stillness. It'll do you a world of good and just takes a few minutes!
Write the word “breathe” on a sticky note. Place the note on your computer, near the phone or on the fridge to remind you to slow down, breathe, and bring yourself into the moment.
In practising mindful breathing, thoughts will still wander in. Memories from the past, problems of the world, worries and hopes for the future will distract you. This is normal. There's no need to judge yourself but simply notice and acknowledge that your mind has wandered off and bring it back to the present. Mindfulness exercises can help you manage these distractions.
Imagine you are sitting on a park bench. You notice people as they pass you by. In the distance, you can see a group of teenagers on their skateboards. A woman and her small dog walk by. A small child toddles past you, followed by his father. You note their appearance. You observe their behaviour. For as long as they are in front of you, you give them your attention.
You don't think about what they're wearing, don't judge what they're doing nor how they're behaving.
You don't feel the need to invite anyone over to sit down and talk with you. Nor do you need to get up from your bench to join anyone else. You only engage with other people in a detached way; observing them from where you sit. When they move on and are out of your view, you let them go as your attention moves to the next passerby.
This park bench experience is analogous to an exercise that can be done with your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and observations.
Imagine that the people in the park are your thoughts. You can allow yourself to become aware of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and surroundings. At any point, whatever thought, feeling or sensation presents itself is the person in front of you in the park. Notice it for as long as it is there, then allow it to pass. You do not need to hold onto anything or chase after anything. You are an observer. Just notice it and let it move on.
This exercise can help you to understand how emotions, thoughts and feelings can simply be held in awareness, observed, and allowed to pass.
If it's a thought or emotion that has become so compelling that you can't keep your focus on the breath, shift your attention to the thought or emotion and just patiently watch it without judgement. Thoughts and emotions come and go in the mind in an ever-changing flow. Notice that just as, for example, desire arises or fear arises, desire subsides and fear subsides.
Now that you are more aware of yourself â your thinking and your feelings â you can bring awareness and acceptance to your surroundings and the activities you do.
Chocolate meditation
: A popular exercise for practising mindfulness is chocolate eating. Buy a bar of chocolate â it could be your favourite brand or you try something new â and then follow these steps.
Hold the chocolate in your hand. Notice the design of the wrapper and the weight and shape of the chocolate.
Unwrap the chocolate slowly, carefully and neatly.
Smell the chocolate. Think about the different “notes” you get from the smell â heavy, light, sharp, spicy, sweet, warm, etc. Anything you had not noticed before?
Break off a square and place into your mouth and allow it to slowly melt into the warmth of your tongue.
Notice how the taste and texture changes from the time you first place the chocolate into your mouth to the time it is completely melted.
Take a moment to reflect on, and fully enjoy, the flavour and texture of the chocolate.
Raisin meditation:
Raisin meditation is similar way of practising being in the moment. Although raisins don't melt in your mouth the way chocolate does, you can focus more on the appearance of the raisin, the tactile sensations as you handle the raisin, the chewy texture, as well as the sweet taste, as you eat one at a time, very slowly.
Mindful meal:
Of the 1000 meals or so you ate in the last year, how many did you eat mindfully? Eat a meal mindfully. Focus on the sensations you feel not only in your mouth and stomach, but in other areas of your body as well: your hands as you bring the food to your mouth. Be aware of the sounds you hear as you eat, the smell of the food, the taste and the texture.
Think how much time and effort nature, the farmer or fisherman, the food producer the picker, the packer etc. put into producing what you are eating. Make the attention you give what you are eating reflect that time and energy. Eat slowly and notice everything. No reading text of any kind, watching TV, listening to voicemails etc.
Of course, there's no need to eat every meal in a mindful way, but regularly eating a meal mindfully brings you into the present and reminds you that there is no “what next”? This is it.