Presence of Heart: Discovering the Practice of Mindfulness
by WITHIN teacher Adam Moskowitz
We’ve all had fleeting moments of “being,” uninterrupted and unfiltered by the typical wants, interpretations, preferences, and opinions produced by the “thinking mind.” These rare moments are “tastes” of a particular state of consciousness that is mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness is both meditation and learning to connect to this natural awareness.
We might say that to discover mindfulness is to discover what happens when we deliberately take time to detect the nature and texture of the present moment no matter what it’s like—and gradually cultivate an open heart to what we notice and sense.
Many people say, “I can’t meditate because I can’t clear my mind.” Many people believe that meditation is an exercise of reaching some kind of thought-less realm that is entirely calm and peaceful. When we meditate, we are not aiming to escape our minds or eliminate thinking.
Mindfulness meditation usually happens on a cushion, chair, lying down, standing, or walking. This practice supports us to live with a stable kind of awareness when we’re not meditating. When we’re doing everything else.
The process of “cultivating mindfulness” in daily life can take time, kind of like a slow cooker that doesn’t seem to be doing much for a while.
Regarding emotions and physical states, often mindfulness does not immediately alleviate discomfort; rather, the practice creates a safe space for layers of discomfort to rise to the surface for our recognition. This can mean an actual intensification of discomfort for a time.
There is a kind of peace and clarity that the practice does promise, but these qualities do not emerge by avoiding or escaping difficulty. They are byproducts that appear as a result of our gentle recognition and willingness to connect with whatever layers of tension we may carry.
Mindfulness is not passive or disconnected from the pains and troubles of the world. It is an engaged practice that empowers us to respond to challenges from a newly discovered well of resource.
The practice also offers the priceless gift of learning to sense and acknowledge the beauty that exists in the present moment even in the most mundane corners of our reality.
A Chinese translation for mindfulness is presence of heart. At its core mindfulness is a heart-centered practice. It is a realization of our fundamental wholeness. It is a discovery of our innate care for one another. It is recognition of the truth of our interdependence—how we rely on one another and how the world relies on us.
Adam is passionate about helping people bring more mindfulness into their daily lives. His Elements of Mindfulness online course is designed to help you develop more wisdom and ease through mindfulness. Learn more about the course here, or check out when he’s teaching next here and join him for a drop-in meditation class.