Summary

The article discusses the natural development of mindfulness through regular practice and offers two key strategies to enhance this process.

Abstract

The article "How the Power of Mindfulness Blossoms Into Being On Its Own" explores the author's personal journey with mindfulness, emphasizing that it can become an automatic response with consistent practice. It recounts an incident where the author unintentionally engaged in mindful breathing while waiting in a shop, illustrating the spontaneous nature of cultivated mindfulness. The piece distills mindfulness advice from the teachings of Tich Nhat Hanh, highlighting its simplicity yet noting the challenge in its application. The author also shares a personal anecdote of a failed attempt at maintaining mindfulness during a supermarket trip, underscoring the importance of sustained meditation practice. The article concludes with two takeaways: the necessity of daily single-minded meditation and the practice of stopping to breathe at various moments throughout the day, suggesting that these habits lead to increased mindfulness and its unsolicited emergence in daily life.

Opinions

Mindfulness can become a spontaneous practice as a result of dedicated meditation.
The author believes that mindfulness advice, while straightforward, requires diligent practice to be effective.
The article suggests that a daily meditation habit is crucial for deepening mindfulness.
The author advocates for "habit stacking" to establish a daily meditation practice by linking it with an existing habit.
Regular meditation can improve concentration and have a positive impact on daily life.
The author recommends brief moments of mindful breathing throughout the day to maintain presence and refresh the mind.
The author implies that forcing extended periods of mindfulness in challenging environments may not be sustainable for beginners.

How the Power of Mindfulness Blossoms Into Being On Its Own

Plus two takeaways to help the process along.

Mindful in Public — By Accident

I sat down on the wooden bench, and instead of pulling out my smartphone to scroll the news, I immediately settled into relaxed concentration on my breath — a 2500-year-old practice.

I was in a small shop that only allows five people, and the clerk on duty was very busy: “I’ll be with you in a few minutes. Sit over there while you wait.”

It wasn’t until I had been sitting there for a few minutes that I realized I was practicing mindfulness. I was doing what all the self-help advice tells you to do while waiting.

Perhaps you can use this moment to simply focus on your breathing.

Yes, here I was, being mindful of my breathing while waiting — but I didn’t mean to do it. It happened on its own as a result of all the meditation I had been doing. Is there’s a lesson here?

Mindfulness Is Simple

“The first thing to do is stop whatever else you are doing. Now sit down somewhere comfortable. Anywhere is fine. Notice your breathing.

As you breathe in, be aware that you are breathing in

As you breathe out, notice that you are breathing out.” — Tich Nhat Hanh, How to Sit

That’s mindfulness advice in a nutshell from a world-renowned mindfulness teacher and peace activist. And it’s straightforward but not necessarily easy.

My Mindfulness Fail at the Safeway

Ten years ago, I was driving home from a one-day meditation retreat at my local Zen center. I needed to pick up some milk, so I pulled into the supermarket parking lot. Thinking I was pretty hot stuff in the Zen department, I had an idea!

I decided to be mindful of every moment in the supermarket. This was my vow. From the time I left my car, walked through Safeway’s front door, purchased my milk, and walked back to my car, I would be mindful. An unbroken chain of Zen!

No problem.

It wasn’t until I got home 20 minutes later that I remembered my mindfulness vow! In fact, I didn’t remember anything past the time I walked into the entrance of the store. I was shocked!

My big vow turned out to be an unbroken chain of mindlessness. What went wrong?

Meditation, like anything worth doing, takes practice. Lots of practice. I didn’t have enough meditation hours under my belt to take on such a difficult challenge.

Now I’m practicing a lot more — one hour plus every day. And mindfulness is beginning to show up, unbidden.

Here are two important takeaways on how to bring more mindfulness into your life.

Takeaway #1 — Meditate Single-mindedly Every Day

You have set aside precious time for the practice of meditation. You should sit as fervently as possible … Whether you practice for five or ten minutes or for a whole hour, sit single-mindedly with all your might; put aside everything else and boldly do your Zazen. — Koun Yamada, Zen The Authentic Gate

I meditate daily at 5:45 AM. My method is breath counting. I count every breath on the exhale, from one to 10, and start over at one again. I have difficulty getting to ten many mornings and have to start over at three or five again and again. This usually happens when I’m not determined enough.

But when I double down and vow to concentrate single-mindedly, I begin to make it to ten a few times.

Sometimes, my vision narrows, and the world seems to get quieter. And I drop into a sort of effortless counting. It’s a feeling I call, “Just me and my breath.” It lasts for a while, and then I slip out of it.

It’s a wonderful feeling, but I can’t will it to happen. It happens of its own accord, out of my control.

Could I stay in that deep concentration for an entire 30-minute period? Some day hopefully. When it begins to happen for you, you’ll want more. It’s the gateway drug of meditation!

What If You Don’t Have a Daily Meditation Habit? Try Habit Stacking.

Try linking your meditation to an already established habit. For instance, you could say:

After I have my first cup of coffee in the morning, I’ll meditate for ten minutes.

You’ll find it much easier to build a daily meditation habit when you link it to a habit that’s already built into your brain. Then sit down and meditate every day with all the concentrated effort you can muster. The good news is your concentration ability will improve with continued practice, which will benefit your life in many ways. Mindfulness will begin to blossom.

Takeaway #2 — Stop and Breathe

This is a way to practice mindfulness in your daily life as if you’re a pro. Basically, it’s stopping and breathing for a few moments at various times during the day. Aim for just a minute or two, and you’ll find it easy. (Don’t try to do it for 15 minutes in a crowded supermarket. We know how that turns out.)

Here are a few ideas.

When the phone rings, take a breath before you pick up the call.
When you get into your car, sit and breathe for a moment before starting it up.
When it’s time to get up and pour yourself a coffee, stop and breathe a few times before you get up.
Set your meditation timer to ring every half hour. When it rings, stop what you’re doing and breathe.
When it’s time for a work break, look out the window for a few minutes and breathe mindfully.

Just stop and breathe as often as you can remember throughout your day. Fake it ‘till you make it. Periodically, coming back to the present moment is refreshing.