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Our look is new. Our purpose is the same. Learn more about our brand evolution.
by Jennifer Egert, PhD, New York City
I had a picture in my head: swimming in a pond at the base of a waterfall. Six months after the arrival of COVID-19, I craved an experience to “feel alive” again and planned a visit to upstate New York to see good friends. The first morning, my friend called. “The waterfall is down the street, will be there soon.”
Aware of the thoughts: Can I keep balance? Will it be too steep? I took a deep breath, noted the nervousness, tightness in the chest, and stepped into the icy water. A shock to the body, coldness on the skin, the sound of the waterfall, feeling alive, and breathing. This is mindfulness practice – the openness to and awareness of the present moment, the pleasant and unpleasant body sensations, the emotions and thoughts that arise and fall away.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, credited as the father of the Western secular mindfulness movement, defines mindfulness as: paying attention, on purpose, to whatever is unfolding in the present moment, nonjudgmentally. It is a practice of “being with” whatever our experience is, pleasant or unpleasant, with curiosity and acceptance. Acceptance is acknowledging that part of being human, is to feel, to experience joy, anger, loneliness, and everything in between. Much of our suffering comes from wanting things to be other than they are, trying to seek out and prolong pleasure and avoid discomfort. If we wish to be more present to our lives, less reactive, we practice being present and curious no matter what the experience before us is.
Mindfulness practice takes many forms. It can be sitting on a cushion or chair, paying attention to the breath, guiding attention back when it wanders. It can be yoga, walking or moving slowly in a wheelchair, paying attention to sensation in the body. It is also bringing attention to ordinary activities like eating, brushing teeth, and the five senses. Mindfulness practice includes awareness of emotions, noticing tension in the body, noticing aliveness with curiosity rather than judgment. Practice looks different for everyone, and part of it is trying different approaches. There is no “perfect practice.” We learn and forget and learn again and keep practicing.
One of the greatest lessons of mindfulness practice is the knowledge that everything changes. Whether a joyous moment, a great loss, or pain, it will change. We have been shown this reality in the past several months. It is helpful to know when we are feeling lost or isolated that these moments will change. How to face them with self-compassion, kindness, and the question, ‘What would be helpful right now?’ – this is the task.
I often ask my patients, “You know those times when you thought, ‘I’ll never get through this. It is too hard.’ Have you ever been right? If you are sitting here reading this right now – you have never been right. Remind yourself of this truth. It isn’t easy, but somehow, we find a way to move into the icy water and feel alive again.
Below is a list of some of Dr. Jennifer Egert and Dr. David Younger’s favorite resources for mindfulness practice. It by no means represents all the wonderful resources out there. There are so many books,apps, podcasts, blogs to choose from. These are some places to start. Find what speaks to you.
Workshops for learning mindfulness
Meditation/Mindfulness Apps
Podcasts
Great Books to Begin With
Mindfulness and Chronic Illness/Pain
Loving-kindness/compassion practice
More on Meditation
Neuroscience of Mindfulness
Buddhism/Spirituality and Mindfulness
Movies
