On Friday I spoke briefly at The Autism Show at the Excel Centre on the request of a client of mine who asked me to speak about ‘Mindfulness’ an approach that we had used to help him. Following the talk I gave a number of people asked me about mindfulness so I thought I’d record the video on this page and write this blog.
Mindfulness is really about being aware of the nature of our mind and thoughts without being too drawn into our thoughts, through noticing that nature of thoughts. It comes from stopping, stepping back, noticing, becoming aware of oneself. Very often what may call you to mindfulness is actually feeling stressed, depressed, overwhelmed by thoughts.
Many of us have busy lives and busy minds. Minds become busy when there is a great deal of sensations and information. Life is a bit like going shopping and a trip in which you start with a light empty basket or trolly and it becomes more heavy and full as we head to the checkout. In large towns and cities particular many people have ‘full minds’. Minds that are full of expectations, projections and such life. Most of this comes from our conditioning over ‘time’.
Mindfulness is not about trying working out the ‘whats’ and ‘whys’ of all this. It is not about who is too blame. It is not about analysing. This process can actually spin more activity. Mindfulness is about noticing the content and letting it be. It is about not being too interested in the story that that is being ‘spun’ in the mind.
Mindfulness is about arriving at greater peace of mind by fostering a more peaceful mind. It is a very natural process; as you become aware of thought and the fact that the mind is a bit like a jukebox that will start playing when a coin is put in or when it’s nudged. That’s fine that’s what it does; a juke box plays music, a washing machine will have a spin cycle, the weather will do what the weather will does… let it be.
Mindfulness is a process of letting it be. Paul McCartney must have been inspired when he wrote that … evidently. But when we listen to that song do we really consider what ‘letting it be’ means? Do we consider what the impact would be if things are let me. And when I say consider I mean do we allow ourselves to ‘feel’ what it would feel like when that weight is eased.
Silence, meditation, walks in the park, turning down the noise, being more still, speaking less, avoiding gossip, turning of the TV and internet, these things will all help. they are not essential but they may help you foster the conditions for being more at ease.
If you like the mind is a bit like a car where the engine is left on all the time. It’s wise to have the engine on when you drive and that’s it.
This post is really just words. It is just a gentle call. Words and understanding are not mindfulness. They have little place. It is really something that is noticed and experienced. Over time the call of the silence will deepen….
The video above is well worth a view if you’re curious.
If you’d like some ‘tools’ to help you then check out the ‘Become who you are‘ audio talk and Space, stillness, silence – in the shop here on my website rasaru.com likewise The Gift of Inner Success audio talk in the store is also really a talk of mindfulness.
Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading coach, speaker and specialist on inner fulfilment and author of Soul Trader – Putting the Heart Back into Your Business
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