What is Mindfulness?
Learn how to practice mindfulness meditation and be more mindful with Rev. Devin Ryback. Hone your mind, heal your mind, be at peace.
Mindfulness Meditation
With a name like "The Mindful Mage," you would think that mindfulness has something to do with what we do here.
You'd be correct.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is way of being.
It could also be called a state of consciousness.
We tend to experience mindfulness as more of a process than a state, however.
When someone says to "be mindful," this is somewhat synonymous with "be aware," or "pay attention," or "watch what you're doing."
This approaches what we mean when we tell of mindfulness — but it's not quite there yet.
For us, mindfulness, being mindful, means allowing the mind to be full of the Present Moment without any judgement of what is happening.
Not full of thoughts flung about by the "monkey mind."
Not full of worries about the past or the future.
Full of the Present Moment.
What is the Present Moment?
Not there — Here.
Not then — Now.
Here. Now. And everything within it.
This actually includes what's happening in the mind, as well as what's happening in the body and the external world.
However, most people's minds nowadays are so gunked up with judgement about what's happening in their mind, that the mental stuff becomes painfully, sufferingly distracting from everything else within the Present Moment.
And there is a lot within the Present Moment.
In fact, the Present Moment contains Everything — with a capital "E."
It's All right Here, right Now.
If you are too caught up in your mind, and too caught up in judging what's happening, then you're missing it!
Meditation
Meditation is a method.
It could also be called a state of consciousness.
We tend to experience meditation as more of a process than a state, however.
👀 Hey, that seems familiar...
Indeed. Mindfulness and meditation are like two sides of the same coin.
We like to explain these concepts from a practical perspective, like this:
Meditation is a method to experience mindfulness.
Meditation is a reward in itself.
If you are practicing meditation for any reason other than to practice meditation, then you are not practicing meditation.
Notice the word "practice."
Meditation is indeed a practice. There is not nor ever shall there be an ultimate moment in which anyone "achieves" meditation.
Once you find a particular meditation style you enjoy, you simply practice, practice, practice...
... and let go of all expectations.
How do I practice mindfulness meditation?
Do you really want to know?
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Have you considered why you want to know? Because, remember, practicing mindfulness meditation for any reason other than to simply practice mindfulness meditation is not practicing mindfulness meditation...
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Alright, well, if we tell you, do you promise that you will actually practice? Or are you one of those people who wants to know how to practice mindfulness meditation just so you can tell yourself that you could practice (if you really want to), and instead you carry around all of the know-how and transformational techniques you've been gathering — hoarding them — without actually applying any of them and you wonder why nothing is changing for the better in your life?
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Do you still want to know? Because, you know, there are entire books written about this that you can go ahead and waste your time reading, putting more and more and more time and more things to do between you and your mindfulness meditation practice, procrastinating indefinitely until the end of all time instead of actually. just. practicing.
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You're still here.
You must really want to know how to practice mindfulness meditation.
Wonderful. We'll tell you.
Step by step.
Ready?
Here we go.
Mindfulness Meditation in 4 Simple Steps
- Be still
- Focus
- Allow
- Repeat
. . .
That's it.
We know. It's not glamorous.
We prefer elegance over glamour, and simple is elegant.
There is much we could specify and expound upon about this simple process...
. . .
And we won't.
For now, we leave you with this guidance:
Simple is not always easy.
It's easy to be hard on yourself.
It's hard to be easy on yourself.
This practice is so simple — there's nothing to it.
Whatever appears in your practice…
... is you.
Release judgement and allow.
Then you shall be free.
You have everything you need, right Here and Now, to begin your lifelong mindfulness meditation practice.
We believe in you.
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