When we observe what is happening in the present moment and in our minds, perhaps what we are going to see is not very pleasant, we begin to observe behaviors, bodily sensations and emotions that we had never realized.
Another account of beginning meditators is that they observe how their minds are carried away by thoughts, which are jumping like monkeys from branch to branch. Mindfulness does not promise to exterminate your thoughts, but rather that you observe what goes on in your mind without judgment. Mindfulness's invitation is to be kinder to ourselves, to others and to our practices.
Shall we try a brief Mindfulness practice cultivating kindness?
Meditative Practice:
Make sure you are in a quiet environment to complete your practice and that it has some light.
Sit in a sitting position with your spine straight.
Put your phone in airplane mode and an alarm to go off after 3 minutes.
Note that even with our eyes closed, we can perceive the brightness of the environment.
Observing clarity will be where we will focus our attention during practice. If thoughts appear, the suggestion is not to feed them, imagine them as clouds passing in the sky. Gently bring your attention back to the observation of clarity as often as necessary, without judgment, without expectations.
After the alarm has sounded, open your eyes and check the brightness of your surroundings. Observe the place like an explorer who has never been there. What is possible to observe?
Colors? textures? objects? Be kind to yourself about this new experience and if you realized that you had never noticed anything in the environment or in yourself, regarding your thoughts, emotions or bodily sensations.
