For me, mindfulness is the practice of being with, what is. And I might clarify that to say, being with what ACTUALLY is.
Meditation on the breath is simply observing and being with the breath.
Body scanning is being with the body.
Both are potential observation points to be with everything else that arises in the body/mind when engaging in the practice. Emotions, thoughts, beliefs and body sensation all accompany our present moment experience.
Meditation provides a quiet space to observe what is here, now.
Similar to observation of the land and of nature. When we access our Witness, the awareness we are, we can disconnect from an identification with our own agendas, impulses, wants, and reactions and truly take in what is needed, what naturally wants to happen in the system.
One basic and highly effective way of attuning to what is present is to notice and become aware of what is happening in our bodies. Every emotion, need, thought, experience and belief has a corresponding sensation or way of living out through our body.
Noticing sensation, tensions, pain and deepening into how we actually experience that: where, how big, what it’s qualities are, what’s connected to it, what it’s communicating or asking for connects us to what is. We deepen our awareness and understanding and begin to integrate that experience into our awareness rather than being in conflict with or trying to repress or disconnect from it.
Mindfulness is a practice of being open, receptive, not judging, allowing with compassion, attunement and a willingness to act in alignment with what is being asked for, what is needed. And it is a willgness to allow that aligned action to nourish us, a taking in of the nourishment and allowing ourselves to be satisfied. And finally, allowing ourselves to rest in that satisfaction, and integrating or allowing ourselves to organize ourselves around the knowing that our that we can see, act, and be satisfied. That there are no barriers between is and our needs being met, between us and our better selves.
