I champion the benefits of mindfulness practice in my work. There's no arguing that there is a mindfulness movement in full swing right now, and this is a good thing. In our current "Go! Go! Go! culture", we've become conditioned to move through our lives almost on auto-pilot. We focus on the task in front of us, the one ahead of us, and check them off our lists without even thinking, it seems. Accomplishing the mission is essential, not why we are doing it or how we do it, especially not how we feel doing it. Too many of us are going through the motions of our daily lives and not engaging with them.

Ironically, people are becoming more mindful of this dilemma and realizing that something has to change. Indeed, the challenges faced living through a pandemic only served to bring this further to light. We are beginning to realize that it's crucial to slow down, engage, and be present. Not only can this help reduce stress, but it can also help people feel more connected with their environment. So it's no surprise that the concept and practice of mindfulness gets a lot of attention.  

Mindfulness is not a complicated concept to understand but can be interpreted and practiced in varied ways. For this post, let's look at a basic definition. The below example pops up when you google "definition of mindfulness." 

Definition of mindfulness

mind·ful·ness

/ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/

noun

1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. "their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition."

2. a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Nothing earth-shattering here, right? However, I would like to highlight the second entry "...while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feeling, thoughts, and bodily sensations...". In my opinion, the key to being mindful without judgment lies in calm acknowledging, and acceptance. We should give ourselves the grace to be fully present with what is going on in our minds and bodies without adding the pressure of attaching "good or bad" labels to it. 

However, with the rise in focus on mindfulness, are we unintentionally creating an environment where people now feel pressure to be mindful or practice mindfulness? Are we trading one stressor for another? Are people judging themselves on whether they are being mindful? Or whether they are "doing it right"? Are we defeating the purpose?

I've been thinking a lot about this, and honestly, I don't know if this is happening and, if it is, how prevalent it is. However, an unexpected moment of mindfulness I experienced led me to wonder about the joy and contentment we can find when we experience or practice mindfulness without thinking about it.

The moment in question occurred while eating a piece of cheesecake. I had no intention of being mindful or present. I was just sitting down to enjoy a slice of cheesecake I'd made earlier in the day. As I was eating, I became absorbed in the experience. (Yes, the cake was that delicious, if I do say so myself!)

I noticed varied textures, like crispy and creamy. I was surprised by how light and fluffy it was, and the smell of lemon was divine. I was fully engaged in a sensory experience. I wasn't aware of anything else going on, and I wasn't thinking about anything but the cake. It was fulfilling, and I felt totally content when I finished. It occurred to me after I finished my cake that I had experienced a fully mindful moment without trying! For someone whose work entails thinking and reading, and studying mindfulness a lot, this was a profound moment.

So what's my point?

My point is that we can experience mindful moments without conscious intent. It doesn't decrease the benefits; in fact, maybe it increases them because they happened organically. I don't know. But, what I'd like people to take away from this is that if they feel pressure to be mindful or practice mindfulness, it doesn't have to be so hard. Try taking the pressure off by simply saying, "today, I'll do my best to present and aware." And don't attach a definition of success to that. In doing so, you may be able to relax a bit more and be more open to experiencing the joy in an unexpected mindful moment.

What do you think? Do you feel pressure to be mindful? Have you had unexpected mindful moments? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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