It’s 10 am. I walk to the sofa in the study. I close my eyes and stop the internal chatter for
a moment. I begin to hear the slow flow of vehicles in the Hume Freeway. I hear birds
chirping. The next-door lady’s car starts, the door closes, and it glides with a swish. I
could hear the airy sound of the heater. I realise it’s on from the time I was up. I walk in
and switch it off. I drink water. I come back and sit again. As I close my eyes, the birds’
cheery sounds become clearer. A dog’s lonesome bark is heard. A child’s tender voice in
the neighbourhood is audible.
I hear the sounds because I’m aware. The magic of the moment is felt because I’m
mindful. Did I hear them earlier? No, I was working at my computer and was not aware of
my surroundings. I thought for a moment and feel concerned. Is my physical body in
alignment with my mind? I was typing, checked emails, had attended to other matters.
All this past hour, my focus was on a device, looking at a screen. My body was just there,
but was forgotten, ignored. Was I aware of the heat generated by the heater? It was
gradually drying me up. Did I feel the dryness of my mouth?
These are just a few things. I was oblivious to all my bodily sensations.
How much do I lose not being present in the present. Not only I miss the signals given my
body, but I am also missing out the marvels of this universe and its wonderful creations.
How much could that impact one’s very personal wellbeing.
I’ve read that mindfulness is a mental state where we focus on the present moment
without judgment. It is where we feel more receptive to us as well as our surroundings. I
could spend hours doing other things, but I get myself distracted from this moment by
engaging in mundane nothingness. In my short spell of being mindful, I allow myself to
relax completely without the urge to ponder on the past incidents or to get carried away
by something I have fixed for the evening.
Yes, I wanted to experience the present. I want to savour this moment. I know that with
some practice in doing five minutes of breathing exercise, such a calmness would dawn
on me. With the body becoming tranquil, there is much clarity in the mind. In such a state,
there is no pressure or stress about work or any other requirement.
We often spend more time thinking about what’s coming up in the future or dwelling on
things in the past that we can’t change. In focussing on either, we can miss out
experiencing the present. What matters in life is the present. Being more aware of this
moment, and the decisions made could be better. If this moment is spent well, future
won’t go wrong. Again, the past is already spent, so whatever experiences we gathered
in the past should only give us lessons. But thinking about the negative experiences or
worrying about what couldn’t be done, this moment, which is precious, is wasted.
But the question most of us have is how we could train our minds to focus on the present.
Yes, the mind is a wanderer. A crazy monkey that jumps from one branch to the other.
There is more heartbreak if we try to control it completely. Then a few minutes a day?
Yes, it takes time and effort, but a few minutes a day would bring more self-awareness
and clarity of mind. So, it’s better to study the thought patterns first and see how they
come and go. This will let us to know if any nasty thought creeps in, and we can create a
thought guard like a firewall that monitors and filters our own thoughts.
A good way to stay away from the negatives!
Again, if a little more time is possible, it could be focussing on either our breath or our
breathing patterns. It could be simply “breathe in” and “breathe out” a few times as
practised in the Buddhist meditation technique of Anapanasati or breathing meditation.
This would allow us to observe our natural, normal breath.
Then, in stressful situations, we need to remain calm. What could be the best way to
remain calm amidst chaos?
Being mindful!
Research into the area of mindfulness would discuss its many health benefits at length.
However, in a world with mounting tension about everything, every day, a calm mind is
the best wealth. So, begin the journey of de-cluttering the mind. Let’s tame this crazy
monkey.
Finally, we all want a happier US. I try it, so why not YOU?
Savithri J