This 12-point cheatsheet first appeared on my website dedicated to mindfulness meditation teaching and practice, “Precious Attention“, addressing some of our pre-conceived ideas about formal mindfulness practice that are floating around. You can download the free PDF here.
- Mindfulness practice = sitting silently, watching feelings, body-sensations and thoughts come and go, not hooking into any of them
- If your thinking or any other natural phenomena of the body/mind are too overwhelming, put your attention on your natural breathing rhythm
- You cannot do this wrong, despite what your opinion about the quality or outcomes of your practice want to tell you or despite what anyone else says
- It’s impossible to stop thinking. The mind is designed to think, just as the stomach wants to eat. But you can decide what focus to give your mind and be its master
- To practise between 12-20 minutes a day is sufficient for maximum benefit. Perhaps start with less to build up “sitting stamina”. Extend for your own good reasons
- Mindfulness practice delivers benefits automatically! Practice to take a closer look at the life you live and are, to develop greater intimacy with life itself
- Mindfulness knowledge is experiential. It increases through continuing practice. Not by courses or reading about it (although of course there’s nothing wrong with that!)
- Nothing needs further addressing or fixing or solving, the practice itself is sufficient. You will know to seek help or share or write or explore when you need to
- Practising can result in feeling uncomfortable, but it’s not a sign something is wrong, and you will still reap the (scientifically proven) benefits
- Mindfulness is a perpetually growing process in which we begin to appreciate our unique inner and outer surroundings in life, whatever they may be
- The changes you may wish to make on the basis of your mindful connection with yourself will come from your insight; not reaction, effort or force or outer authority
- Mindfulness is common-sense mind/body hygiene like brushing your teeth, but it will not “get you anywhere”. There is nowhere to get. You’re already “it”
© Sitara Morgenster
Become a supporter
