Mindfulness

[kestrel127]

I've been thinking a lot about mindfulness lately, mindfulness and meditation. I've been doing a lot of tasks that require attention but not necessarily thought (running, cooking, canning, etc...). My hope with them is to get myself to a point where these tasks are not only enjoyable (I'm working on that with the jogging. Maybe some day...), but

Comments

[chilimuffin]

I sometimes wonder (and perhaps this is rebellion against my own "inner should") if it's really necessary to achieve that quiet, empty space in order to obtain some sort of cleansing. I mean, sometimes I'm bopping along and all those thoughts are flitting through my head and I just sort of let them, and then they go, and that feels like a type of housekeeping, letting things process without judgment. Other times, I'm counting down seconds (for the microwave, the oven, the time before exams, etc), and I wonder if such an intensely mindful focus isn't also somewhat purgative?

Then my inner rebel says "what's so important about nothingness, anyway?"

I don't know, maybe there is only "one right way" to get the brain benefits of meditation, but I'm deeply cynical.