Practice

​Daniel G. Weidner, LMHP
 
Mindfulness is a practice. Meditation is a critically important aspect of the practice of Mindfulness. When looking at Meditation from a macro perspective there are two integral parts: (1) the actual practice of sitting in Meditation, and (2) the practice of using the calming (Shamatha) and insights (Vipassana) gained through the sitting practice to manage your mind in daily life. 
 
Concentration is one of the first things that we learn as we begin a Meditation practice. Concentration (Samadhi) is part of what the Buddhist’s refer to as “The Noble Eightfold Path”. Concentration is facilitated in Meditation through focus on a specific object – typically the breath. Concentration in Mediation differs from the form of concentration that we employ when we study or focus on completion of a complex task. 
 
Concentration is not a method for running away from yourself or suppressing. We concentrate to make ourselves deeply present. When you are deeply concentrated you are absorbed in the moment, fully present, you become the moment. Thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations arise and pass away like clouds in the sky. 
 
During Meditation we begin to observe our discursive thoughts - thoughts from the past, thoughts of the future. As we practice we become progressively familiar with our thinking mind. We begin to observe what Jack Kornfield refers to a “frequent visitors”, or thoughts that appear with some regularity. We learn to note and name these frequent visitors. Through this process we learn to recognize them and, importantly, we learn to let them go and return to our object of concentration and the present moment. 
 
One of the first things that we realize through this process is that we begin to relax. This is known as Shamatha. Shamatha simply means stopping-calming-resting-healing. 
 
Shamatha in Meditation then helps us open to insight (Vipassana). Vipassana, at a basic level, is seen as looking deeply. Through this process we begin to peel back the layers of our thinking and learn to directly face whatever is before us at the moment. As we work with Shamatha and Vipassana we become increasingly familiar with our thinking mind and the many emotions/feelings that may be swirling around with our thoughts. We also develop the skill of “letting go”.
 
In Meditation letting go is the act of retuning to our focus of concentration and to the present moment. When we have a daily and consistent Meditation practice our insights lead to a deeper understanding of the thinking mind. Simply put, we get to know the person with whom we spend every day of our life. 
 
This leads us to the second integral part of the practice of Meditation: applying the insight (lessons learned) to our daily life. We learn to understand and manage our thinking mind as we move through our lives. This begins with recognition. We learn to recognize thoughts and commensurate emotions/feelings as they appear in our mind. Through recognition we learn to accept those thoughts as thoughts and see that they are impermanent and pass away like clouds in the sky. We learn to let go and to not get caught up in thoughts from the past or future and to return ourselves to the present moment – which is the only moment that we ever have. 
 
Recognition and acceptance also provide us with an opportunity to deal with thoughts and feelings that may require further attention. The ability to recognize and accept our thoughts and feelings leads to greater calmness and equanimity in our daily lives. This then leads to a greater understanding of our thinking mind and enables us to return to the present moment in our daily lives. 
 
Stability develops over time with our practice. The vicissitudes of our lives begin to level off and we find that we experience progressively smaller swings in our moods and feelings.  This leads to greater happiness and contentment with our life as it is.

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