I’m not ready as I’ll ever be
I climb the walls, I fall into the sea
I’m not ready as I’ll ever be
And I suppose your guess is more or less as bad as mine
All over but the shouting, just a waste of time
Never mind
–the Replacements/Never Mind
In a class I am taking, we spent a few hours last week talking about the concept of mindfulness and how it relates to certain aspects of daily life, like eating.
For those of you who are not in touch with your New Age side, mindfulness means being fully in the present moment. Slowing down and acknowledging what you are feeling/experiencing right then. Really “being there” when you do things. And stuff. Many people who are trying to live more mindfully do so through the practice of some sort of meditation. In class, we did a guided meditation as a demonstration. Which is sort of the baby steps way to get into it. It was a bit like group hypnosis, only without anyone clucking like a chicken. We did smile through our chests, though, which was impressive.
Driving to work today, it occurred to me that I do something like that with my music selection on my way to and from work. My personal meditation involves putting on music, driving, singing, and (optionally) crying. Obviously, since I’m driving, and doing several other things at once, I can’t call it mindful, and the other day I referred to it as mis-guided meditation. Or, as one of my favorite people put it: it’s an emotional treadmill, with tears as the sweat.
All of the emotional release of meditation without the pesky mindfulness!
I’m sure there would be a market for it if I sold the pre-fab playlists, lyric sheets and driving routes. People like to be told how to do things, and I am naturally bossy. I could be the un-mindfulness-guru! I already have a Cult of Doubt, I could also start a Cult of the Nevermind-ful. It would be fun. We could have drinks, sing and cry. Wait, no drinks. We’re driving.
I’d make fun of mindfulness some more, except…well…
I actually think that mindfulness is a good concept. I hate it when that interferes with the potential for profiteering and expanding my cult, but my personal ethics prohibit it.
There’s a lot of science that confirms the benefits to the mind and body of some sort of practice of mindfulness such as meditation. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I suspect the benefits come from sitting peacefully and breathing deeply for a few minutes and becoming fully relaxed. Or more relaxed than usual. Bringing your mind continually back to the present might increase focus in other areas by developing the parts of your brain responsible for discipline.
So, like everything else, I am thinking about it a lot and not doing it while doing something I enjoy doing more. This will surprise no one. Maybe I could start by meditating for a few minutes while I’m lollygagging in bed of a Saturday morning wishing I had a cup of coffee.
I have a hunch I would like not thinking…
Maybe I should try it.
But probably not while I’m driving.
Although, I could possibly try driving mindfully. I’m sure the other drivers would appreciate it.