The practice of mindfulness refers to our efforts and discipline at being fully present in the now — in our lives. Oftentimes we dwell in the past, in what could have been, or what was. At other times we spend much of our time scripting the future, or living particular narratives as if we were on autopilot. Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present moment by devoting conscious attention to our experience of the now.
Mindfulness involves a conscious direction of our awareness. Therefore, mindfulness is not just awareness of our states of mind, but deep looking and contemplation of that moment, of the possible roots of such a state of mind, its implications and consequences, possible triggers, feelings generated, and our habitual responses. In other words, a practice of mindfulness includes purposefulness of attention, of directed awareness, so that we may stay with, and learn from, the experience of the moment.
A mindfulness practice helps us cultivate stillness, stability and peace. It nourishes our capacity to contemplate situations with more care, and enhances our ability to respond wisely and with compassion. So we stop, listen, and look deeply within to cultivate being in harmony with all that surrounds us and which ultimately is constitutive of who we are. Hence, mindfulness practice nourishes an understanding of the interconnectedness of our lives with the larger world we inhabit.
That does not mean however, that the practice of mindfulness meditation is some “new-age” way to achieve some exalted state of luminosity or ecstatic bliss. Being in the present means embracing awareness with all its implications and complications. It means living constantly with questions about how best to nurture mindfulness when faced with the challenges that manifest in everyday life.
Above all we need to remember that mindfulness is a practice, and as such the goal is not perfection, but continued practice, and development of a life in harmony.
[Editorial Note]: Questions that come up from this explanation…
What is a practice? How do you practice mindfulness? Is a mindfulness practice a way of being docile subjects? How do we speak our truth without creating more suffering or harm? How do social/cultural contexts affect or shape our ability to be mindful (or facilitates our mindlessness)? How might we practice being present within a technological and mediated world that seeks to constantly disperse our attention? How is it that compassion emerges out of a mindfulness practice? Do we need to be Buddhist, or be “Zen-like” in order to practice mindfulness?
I’ll try to address some of these questions as they relate to an endeavor such as photography in some of the posts on this site.