Mindfulness: it’s become a buzzword. Random House Dictionary defines it as, “a technique in which one focuses one’s full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them.” Sounds pretty straightforward, right?
As many of you already know, putting mindfulness into practice is no easy feat. We often equate a notion of traditional seated meditation with being mindful: good posture, eyes closed, hands on knees, attempting to empty the mind of all thoughts. Very often, however, as soon as you try to think of ‘nothing’, thoughts come flooding in: longing for or regretting events of the past or wondering and worrying about the future, all of which is out of our control. Oh, and there’s the proverbial ‘to-do’ list that inevitably creeps in just as one has started to concentrate on the breath. Sigh.
At the same time, traditional seated meditation can be a beautiful practice for many people, helping to calm the mind and body and lessen anxieties. Meditation can be especially helpful when a person faces a catastrophic illness, such as breast cancer. This integrative practice can reduce stress and have a positive impact on emotional, psychological, and even physical healing.
But what if you’ve tried traditional meditation, and it just doesn’t seem to work for you? We’d like to share a couple of mindfulness techniques that can bring similar positive effects to the mind, body, and spirit. At our upcoming Firefly Dialogues, we’ll explore walking meditation and Zentangle with experienced facilitators.
In walking meditation, the idea is to focus your attention on the physical experience and sensations of walking. This gives a person the advantage of bringing the meditative experience into a more physical activity. Whether you walk with awareness down a path in front of your house or in the hallways of a hospital or find a labyrinth to walk, you can engage in this form of mindfulness almost anywhere. Find out more about the practice here, adapted from the work of mindfulness expert, Jon Kabat-Zinn.
The Zentangle Method is an entirely different way to practice mindfulness. In this art activity, the idea is to create beautiful images from repetitive patterns. In so doing, a person can intentionally shift focus and perspective while engaging in a relaxing and inspiring art form. No experience required! Certified Zentangle teachers, Michelle Aalbers and Kathy Rosenow, describe the Method here (www.zentangle.com).
Interested in getting a taste of the joys and benefits of walking meditation and Zentangle? Join us at one of our upcoming Firefly Dialogues scheduled for Thurs, April 6th, and Saturday, April 8th. You can register here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-firefly-dialogue-on-mindfulness-discover-explore-practice-tickets-30077371227).
There’s a good reason why mindfulness has been getting so much attention!
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