Mindfulness In The Real World: From The Cushion To The Conversation (Part 1/3)

Part 1: Beyond A Spa Practice

Mindfulness is often described as a way to relax or “clear your mind.”

That’s incomplete, and sometimes wrong. I don’t know about you, but “clearing my mind” has not been straightforward, even after 20 years of mindfulness practice.

In any case, the point of mindfulness isn’t comfort. It’s building capacity for:

• Noticing what’s happening inside of you.

• Staying present with discomfort.

• Resisting the urge to react automatically.

When we practice on the cushion - or mat, chair, wherever it works - the stakes are low. We’re alone, distractions are limited. It’s still challenging: we’re with our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations which can become rabbit roles or triggers for pain.

But no one is testing us. No one is misinterpreting us. No one is questioning us.

That’s why the work starts here: alone, in controlled conditions. We train our mind to notice, to return to presence again and again, each time that we’re being carried away.

This is the foundation. Without it, handling complex situations - in the real world, in high stake situations, with other minds -  isn’t possible.

Mindfulness isn’t a spa practice, it’s training ourselves for reality.