books

Chasing Unicorns: Chapter 7, On the Path of Unicorns, Part 5

By on • ( 31 Comments )
Tap cover, to read.

This is the latest installation of a 27-part series, featuring my book, Chasing Unicorns. To read the previous installation, CLICK THIS LINK. For the next post in this series, CLICK THIS LINK. To start at the beginning, CLICK THIS LINK. To read the entire book at once, tap the book cover. Thanks for reading!

RECAP: Yesterday, we mindfully covered the subject of informal mindfulness. We learned that we can be mindful while going about routine, everyday tasks. But for the more important, critical tasks that require a high degree of concentration, we have to be less mindful in order to get the job done. When you practice informal mindfulness, you’ll often catch yourself going a long time, forgetting to be mindful. When this happens, returning to mindfulness is important, as it builds a self-discipline and devotion to the practice that eventually makes the practice a habit you can’t quit.

On the Path of Unicorns, Part 5

Meditation Instructions

Gurus, meditation masters, and other experts often provide instructions for how to be mindful. These instructions can be useful, but always take them with a grain of salt. Ultimately, you must find your own way. It’s up to you to determine the best way to be mindful.

A common instruction is to only do one thing at a time. Well in the real world, that’s easier said than done. Life places many demands upon us, and sometimes we can’t avoid engaging in more than one thing at a time.

Suppose you’re frying a hamburger when the phone rings. And it’s an important call. Then, while you’re jabbering on the phone while flipping your burger, your kid walks through the front door with a stray dog she wants to keep. So now you have to scowl, while pointing to the door, while addressing an important question raised by the important person on the phone, while your hamburger burns on the stove.

Good luck being mindful during all that.

I like this instruction though, and I do try to limit myself to one thing at a time, whenever possible. This has a calming effect on my temperamental demeanor. It also forces me to simplify my life. And it makes mindfulness easier. But it isn’t always possible, or advisable. One must be flexible about rules and instructions, if one is to survive in this complicated world.

Another common instruction is to repeat over and over in your mind, what you’re doing in any given moment. For instance, if you’re walking, repeat to yourself, “walking, walking, walking.” If you’re chewing food, repeat to yourself, “chewing, chewing, chewing.” And so forth.

Be warned that if you do this with too much focus, you’re likely to trip over your own shoes, or choke to death. You must adjust your mindfulness to the situation.

I find this instruction useful at times, when my mind is scattered and I’m having a very hard time being mindful. But I don’t employ it often. Someone new to mindfulness might benefit from using it more frequently, though.

Another very common instruction is to watch your breath. That’s because we always have breath while we are, uh, still breathing. So it’s always there to watch. And it’s neutral. There’s no politically correct way to breathe or not breathe. Therefore, watching one’s breath is not likely to excite one’s passions.

It’s a good instruction, in my view. But be careful about taking it too far. Watching one’s breath is not the be-all and end-all to mindfulness.

And besides, what’s wrong with exciting one’s passions? Nothing at all. If you do this mindfully, you may gain some insights into just why your passions have become excited. And this will help you to understand a little more about yourself.

So be mindful of other things also, besides your breath. Be mindful when a stone fox or handsome hunk walks past you. Admire the view, and watch how it affects your impulses. Be mindful when handed a large sum of money, so you can be aware of all the avarice that consumes your heart like fire.

And be mindful while eating something delicious, like a chocolate bar. Don’t waste all that good taste by following your breath. No, follow the flavor, as it sends your mouth to heaven and engorges your stomach.

[I wrote that last paragraph while feeling hungry, so maybe it’s time for a snack break. Don’t forget to brush your teeth, and be sure to show up tomorrow, where you’ll learn the main benefit of mindfulness.]

###

Categories: books, Series (Books): Chasing Unicorns

31 replies »

  1. What happened to the guest teacher? I was all ready to be on my best behavior, like you said.
    Guess you decided that you didn’t need a guest teacher for you explained things quite well yourself! I think I need to go to the beach so I can put into practice what you said about admiring the view! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • The “guest teacher” is the instructions that I relate, that come from gurus and meditation masters. Just pretend someone else wrote this chapter.

      Have fun at the beach admiring the “view.” But don’t strain your neck too much, looking up at the lifeguards.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. I’ve never heard of repeating a word over and over based on what you are doing. I don’t think I could do that.

    The few times I have done meditation, the focus on breathing was always a part of it.

    And as for no politically correct way to breathe, what about the mask vs no mask debate 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Well, you might want to try the word repeating thing. If it doesn’t work for you, then stop doing it. Whether or not something works for someone is always the acid test when it comes to any meditative practice.

      Focusing on the breath seems to be emphasized quite a lot in many meditation instructions, and is often heavily touted. I’ve tried it, and I do find it helpful at times. But there are so many other things we can focus on, as well, so I’m not as much an advocate of it as some meditation practitioners.

      As for wearing a mask while you meditate: The CDC recommends this, even for vaccinated people, although the WHO says it’s not necessary. Meanwhile, the GOP has expressed skepticism, while the DEMs have been doing it all along. My suggestion is to consult your doctor before doing anything, including breathing.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  6. Pingback: Chasing Unicorns: Chapter 7, On the Path of Unicorns, Part 6 – Chasing Unicorns

Go ahead, blurt it out:

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.