9 Attitudes To Deepen Your Mindfulness

Jon says that this seemingly simple guideline in definition is extremely difficult for people to do and that is why these 9 postures associated with mindfulness training are an essential way to deepen your understanding and experience of mindfulness training. These 9 principles are all closely linked and interwoven. If you master just one, you can master them all, which is why you may want to focus on a few rather than all of them.

This is my own commentary on the nine postures of mindfulness as outlined by Jon Kabit Zinn. I’m also adding the video of Jon explaining the 9 poses at the bottom of this blog.

Beginner’s mind
This is a term coined by Zen master Shunryu Suzuki and is a key element in mindfulness. It refers to looking at the present moment in a fresh and open way. Suzuki said that “in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the mind of the expert there are few.” Ironically, having an innocent and open attitude helps to cultivate creativity and intelligence. Without labeling or preconceived opinions about the situation, your entire being is free to deal with the moment and strengthen your ability to ‘think outside the box’.

Non-judgmental
This is evident from the definition of mindfulness and is the key principle that gives rise to clear-seeing consciousness. Judgment becomes a veil or a filter for the present moment, coloring everything we experience and trapping us in our own narrow tunnel of reality. By not judging, we can create a kind of awareness that clearly distinguishes the situation outside our own conditioning. This is an enlightened kind of consciousness that is not tied to our own experiences, but instead includes all perspectives, takes all opinions lightly, and allows for the broadest and wisest scope possible in any given situation.

Most of the time, we are constantly judging by putting a like or dislike, or love or hate, on everything we encounter. This constant subtle and sometimes not so subtle judgment arises from the mind’s search for happiness in the objects of the world. Deepening our belief that true and lasting happiness comes from our own clear consciousness and warm heart undermines the mind’s tendency to constantly judge and try to move toward and away from things perceived as pleasant. move away from the unpleasant. That’s why we don’t become so obsessed and addicted to the pleasant, or so afraid of the unpleasant.

Acceptance
Acceptance is not passive, it is an active recognition that things are the way they are. How could they be different? Resistance to the way things are is a major cause of mental and emotional suffering and fights against reality itself. It is also one of the most misunderstood principles of spirituality and mental health. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to change anything; this is a misconception of acceptance. I love what Zen master Suzuki said: “You are perfect just the way you are, and you could use some improvement.” I think the best place for transformation to begin is from a clear awareness of the situation, and with that comes a level of acceptance.

Letting go
Letting go reminds us that we can let things be. Letting go is letting go of being trapped in the desire for things to be different. Letting go is the key to freedom, because holding on to things is a self-imposed prison. Alan Watts explains that we let go of each outbreath and that holding on to life is as foolish as trying to hold on to the inhalation. By letting go we allow things to flow into our lives. By letting go we don’t fight and resist change. By letting go we trust the process.

To trust

Trust is both being reliable and trusting. Trust is a recognition that we are not in control of every little thing in our lives and that many things essential to our survival are happening all the time and we rely on them. We can trust ourselves by listening to the subtle signals that our body and our intuition give us at every moment. And we can trust others by not thinking the worst of people and by not prejudging people based on their appearance, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Trust is also a form of trust in yourself and in the world. Trust is not gullible, just as being kind is not weakness. Trust that you are able to tell the difference between friend and foe. Trust that the process of constant, non-judgmental awareness is healthy and healing, and you can also trust that you can handle difficult situations with grace and dignity.

Patience
On my blog
stop rushing and start arriving I explained the modern disease of haste disease. People are so often rushing to get to the next thing that they forget to enjoy and be in the present moment. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh said, “If you can’t enjoy doing the dishes, you won’t enjoy what you’re looking forward to later. Looking to the future becomes a dominant habit in people’s lives, crippling their ability to enjoy the present moment.

Patience also means staying calm when things don’t go your way or go way too slow for you. Patience is actually an important attitude that protects your mind from anger and is highly recommended by Buddhists. Patience allows us to remain calm under pressure and reminds us to enjoy the small moments of life, because life is made up of a series of small moments.

Non-striving
On my blog
the art of doing nothingg I explain the deepest and deepest teaching of meditation, which is to simply be. Without manipulating, changing or forcing things in a way that puts you directly in the flow of the now. To just be with life without an agenda. Non-striving is not about having no goals or being aimless; it’s about the ability to go with the flow. As Lao Tzu says, “I do nothing and everything is done.” It is a way of acting without trying to act. Action happens naturally, spontaneously – rather than being contrived, it is more direct and natural and therefore more effective and appropriate.

Non-striving recognizes that happiness is not found in achieving or accumulating things, but can instead be found in the stillness of awareness in each moment. Not striving is synonymous with peace, freedom and a deep sense of contentment with the way things are.

Gratitude
Initially, Jon Kabit Zinn wrote only seven postures of mindfulness, but expanded these to include the important aspects of gratitude and generosity. Gratitude is a way to protect your mind from constantly complaining and finding the negative in things. Psychologists call it a negative bias and it is harmful to our mental health. To enjoy the present moment with a sense of reverence and humility. By slowing down and bringing gratitude into our present moment, we bring a sense of joy and focus on the positive in life. Even when things are bad, we are grateful that we survived them and learned from those events. Gratitude is always an option and a very healthy option indeed.

Generosity
On my blog
Meditation and generosity I explain how giving someone your presence is the greatest gift of all. In fact, it’s often all our children want: our attention. Being generous recognizes that there is more happiness in giving than in holding on to things. Generosity embodies a warm heart and a friendly attitude. Jon Kabit Zinn describes that mindfulness also means the fullness of the heart. An open and generous attitude of being present. Being non-judgmental is also a great gift to others and a foundation for a healthy relationship.

Chad is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003 and is committed to bringing authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. Chad now offers private online meditation coaching and has also developed an incredible course called The 21 Day Meditation Challenge
to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.