Nine months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 278. Yesterday, I talked about striving to learn from others. Today is a new day.
Whenever I go outside, be it at the mall, on the train, or going sightseeing there are always people glued to their phones. They provide us with so much convenience and the means for instant-gratification that it's hard not to be. Since getting my smart phone I've noticed that I spend a lot of time on it. At home I spend most of my time on my laptop. I admittedly spend a lot of time writing, consuming media, playing games, etc. that when I'm not playing piano or drawing I'm on my laptop at home. And there's always something playing in the background. Thinking about this has made me realize that I'm always surrounded by noise and that I rarely get moments of silence. It makes sense why it can be hard for me to focus sometimes.
While I still spend too much time online at home, I've found that my rides to work have become a good time for me to rest in silence. I've been meditating and focusing on my breathing during these moments and it's helped me come back to being in the present moment and focusing on my surroundings. I like to pay attention to as many details as I can, whether it's sounds, body movements and expressions, or smells. In doing so I've become more keen in noticing the more subtle cues that people give off.
For example, their facial expressions showing what they're thinking, their body language telling me if they're too hot/cold or if they're engaged in what they're doing, or even their tone of voice indicating their mood or intent. In a lot of ways it's training me to see the underlying message/meaning in everything which is something that gets lost when we get locked too deeply into the screens of our devices.
In the same way that music can help provide us with inspiration, silence is something that can bring focus back into our lives when used correctly. In such a busy world it's the equivalent of taking a break from the constant stimulation we're getting. One reason why I like hiking is because I'm away from all of the electronic devices, cars, etc. and only have the trees, streams, and mountains. It's much simpler and helps me feel rested, like turning off the water fountain and seeing the water slowly reverting to a calm stillness.
I decided to write this blog in silence today and I've also noticed that with less stimulation going on its helped me to focus solely on my writing. I find that I can think more deeply and clearly when I have less distractions to deal with. I've always known this yet I never applied it outside of meditation. In my eyes, true mastery comes from a lifelong dedication to your practice, so if I want to master the art of meditation, I have to live it. In other words, being in a meditative, mindful state in every moment of my life is something for me to strive for and staying in a mindful state can help me achieve a consistent feeling of mental clarity.
How I achieve this is the real question. For starters, I'll keep using this time to do my writing in silence for the next couple of weeks and see how it turns out.
Peace
"Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom." - Francis BaconI was watching the latest episode of Inuyashiki this morning and it was amazing. After watching I started browsing some sites and thought about how I wanted to spend the rest of the day before heading out to work. After thinking of some ideas it then hit me how much I tend to spend online sitting at the comfort of my desk.
Whenever I go outside, be it at the mall, on the train, or going sightseeing there are always people glued to their phones. They provide us with so much convenience and the means for instant-gratification that it's hard not to be. Since getting my smart phone I've noticed that I spend a lot of time on it. At home I spend most of my time on my laptop. I admittedly spend a lot of time writing, consuming media, playing games, etc. that when I'm not playing piano or drawing I'm on my laptop at home. And there's always something playing in the background. Thinking about this has made me realize that I'm always surrounded by noise and that I rarely get moments of silence. It makes sense why it can be hard for me to focus sometimes.
While I still spend too much time online at home, I've found that my rides to work have become a good time for me to rest in silence. I've been meditating and focusing on my breathing during these moments and it's helped me come back to being in the present moment and focusing on my surroundings. I like to pay attention to as many details as I can, whether it's sounds, body movements and expressions, or smells. In doing so I've become more keen in noticing the more subtle cues that people give off.
For example, their facial expressions showing what they're thinking, their body language telling me if they're too hot/cold or if they're engaged in what they're doing, or even their tone of voice indicating their mood or intent. In a lot of ways it's training me to see the underlying message/meaning in everything which is something that gets lost when we get locked too deeply into the screens of our devices.
In the same way that music can help provide us with inspiration, silence is something that can bring focus back into our lives when used correctly. In such a busy world it's the equivalent of taking a break from the constant stimulation we're getting. One reason why I like hiking is because I'm away from all of the electronic devices, cars, etc. and only have the trees, streams, and mountains. It's much simpler and helps me feel rested, like turning off the water fountain and seeing the water slowly reverting to a calm stillness.
I decided to write this blog in silence today and I've also noticed that with less stimulation going on its helped me to focus solely on my writing. I find that I can think more deeply and clearly when I have less distractions to deal with. I've always known this yet I never applied it outside of meditation. In my eyes, true mastery comes from a lifelong dedication to your practice, so if I want to master the art of meditation, I have to live it. In other words, being in a meditative, mindful state in every moment of my life is something for me to strive for and staying in a mindful state can help me achieve a consistent feeling of mental clarity.
How I achieve this is the real question. For starters, I'll keep using this time to do my writing in silence for the next couple of weeks and see how it turns out.
Peace
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| In the silence comes stillness of mind, focus, and clarity. |
If you have any thoughts, stories, or experiences share them in a comment below!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day~