What’s been going on?
The last time I posted here was during the first wave of COVID-19. But those of you who are signed up for my newsletter know that I didn’t stop working behind the scenes. One of the main thing I did during this period was the creation and launch of the Wellness Through Mindfulness course. (Click here to take Lesson One for free.) Putting the course together, I looked closely at every detail of mindfulness. This increased my own clarity about the myrad of ways we can make mindfulness a part of our lives. Mindfulness at its core is a lifestyle. Embodying mindfulness as an approach to our lives, we can be active in the world without being overwhelmed by all that goes on in this 3D physical experience. I realized that it’s worth revisitng the basic principles of mindfulness from time to time.
Back to basics
Practising meditation is the beginning of our mindfulness journey. Practising meditation over time leads to the embodiment of mindfulness because in mindfulness meditation we are connect with our bodily response. The information that can only be received by paying attention to physical response (ease, tension, headaches, pain, happiness, sadness, etc) can change how we approach our lives. That change is the fruit of our practice. We start as people who ‘do’ meditation and become practitioners who ‘are’ mindful. Did you catch that subtle change?
Getting our definitions straight
practice
/ˈpraktɪs/
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noun
noun: practice, being
1. the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.
“the principles and practice of teaching”
And when I say practitioner, I mean I practice spelled with a “c”. Practice spelled with ‘c’ is a noun. It’s the actual application or use of a belief or method. It is a state of being, a lifestyle, a way of approaching life. Rather than a theory. So we practice mindfulness.
practise
/ˈpraktɪs/
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verb
verb: practise, doing
1. perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to acquire, improve or maintain proficiency in it.
“I need to practise my French”
Practise with an ’s’ is a verb. It’s an exercise, performance or skill one does repeatedly in order to aquire a skill, to improve or to maintain proficiency in something. I meditate, journal, do yoga, walking meditation because I’m perfecting the craft of being present. I’m learning to attune to and work with the natural functioning of my body as it was designed. So we pratise meditation.
Back to the present
I start with being present with myself. I am a welcoming host to my life, noticing my internal dialgue, often even questioning the things I say to myself, approaching myself with curious rather than judgement becasue judging, critising and analyzing disconnects us from our bodily experience. Try smelling flower and thinking at the same time. That said, in the moments that I am judgemental of myself—of which there are many— I notice that judging. I notice the sensations in my body when I judge. Do I get tense? Relaxed? Easeful? Or something else? Then I question if my judgement is true or not. From there I decide what I am going to do about it, rather than just critizing myself.
What do you think about this idea of practise vs. practice?
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