Mindfulness Without Meditaton

[Gareth]

This subject gets me thinking. Is mindfulness without meditation possible? I have always been an advocate of regular meditation. I've meditated (nearly) every day for the last six years, in fact. I honestly don't believe that I could have got to the place I am now without meditation.

That said, the lines between formal practice and informal practice get more blurry all the time. When I sit to meditate, it doesn't really feel like anything 'formal' at all. I just sit, close my eyes, and watch (or listen). I feel a strong urge to do this every day. Why wouldn't I?

It's this article that got me thinking:

http://www.onbeing.org/programs/ellen-l ... ndfulness/

Ellen Langer is a mindfulness advocate, yet she doesn't recommend meditation. Despite this, she talks a very good game. Maybe some people are just very naturally mindful, and their informal practice is enough to sustain the quality in them?

[Peter]

Very interesting, Gareth!
Thanks for sharing!
I'll look into some more stuff of her!
Peter

[monkey]

That's a fascinating interview, thanks Gareth. I actually started a while ago to think of my whole practice as 'trying to notice' and 'trying to be kind', both to myself and to other people. It's very interesting to read her thoughts about it.

I think that it seems that Dr Langer is someone who is naturally mindful, naturally notices. My husband is like that, he's able to notice, able to be kind to himself without over committing to others.

I'm not like that. I have had periods when I stopped meditating but continued to try to be mindful in the day. I find that if I don't meditate regularly then I am much less able to notice my thoughts and feelings, much less able to let them pass and see what's happening around me. Since my last hiatus in practice I came to see that the best way for me to think of the sitting practice was just as a time when I sat down for a set period (so I didn't just stop when I got bored or distracted) and practiced noticing what was happening, in my mind, in my body etc. If I think of it like that then it's practice for noticing things in the world when I'm knackered and my children are upset and arguing and so on. I need the sitting practice. But I can see that some people don't.

[monkey]

Also she is sort of describing beginners' mind, letting go of existing judgements.

[Mindsfull]

I've been reading a book by Russ Harris recently and the use of ACT therapy. At times he sort of frustrates me how he writes why meditation isn't for everyone kind of attitude (I think this is just about not scaring people off the whole idea) but then his instructions are basically a breathing space/anchor, a body scan and then his noting is 'thank you mind' rather than noting.

Towards the end of the book he explains how meditation has shown X, Y and Z through research etc and put JKZ down as a reference.

My opinion aside, I see how you could be more 'mindful' without practice but I think formal sitting is a huge part to get you there.