With presence and not for perfection.

For the free guided meditation mentioned in this Instagram post, scroll to the bottom of this page.

As one of the major pathways of resting, conscious rest is a manifold practice— it is as human as we are. As a living practice, it’s ongoing and constantly shifting throughout the whole lifetime. Mindfulness is the gravel/concrete/asphalt/stardust that paves these roads. It can really shift how smooth it feels driving down the highway (or the scenic backroads) of life day-to-day.

Mindfulness is for any and every one of us despite many misconceived and flattened images in North America’s mainstream— the issue being that it is not reached for beyond optics enough. We are sold it all the time: recall the dominant aesthetic of pastel-colored, yoga-in-the-west wellness industry accessorized by more stone bracelets, by more cushions, by more commodified tonics or candles. This extracted and appropriated whitewashed tissue layer may be pretty to look at but it is patriarchal, colonial capitalist exploitation dressed up as health and wellness… that’s another conversation coming soon.

The truth is mindfulness is not exclusive to spiritual seekers or those with the luxury of exotic destination retreats; it’s certainly not a task to be crossed off a list or even a switch to flip. Being mindful is a way of being: there is no need to change anything about yourself or in your life to be mindful. Mindful.org defines this way of being as, “the basic human ability to be fully present and to be aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us.” Note here I find valuable is mindfulness has little to nothing to do with how it looks, or quantified.

I’m a stubborn advocate for aligning intention with impact (oh hey, integrity!) I mean what I’m saying, and I’m saying what I mean. Mindfulness is presence, awareness and non-reactivity. Not in a slow, stagnant sense but the capacity before action, before response. Sounds like being rested: we conserve time, energy and attention for what we mean to rather than reacting. This is paramount the more that is demanded from us: in the face of crisis and the ongoing high visibility and frequency of racial and classist injustice. When we are actively in choice we immediately impact our lived experience hororing and in line with our values. This ripples out like the stone entering the surface of a still pond.

Mindfulness is also another doorway to creativity, innovation and connection. Its powers lie in the understanding, non-judgment and space that is created when we choose to mindfully move through the world.

We shift in many layers:

1. Personal/Within Self

   • physically in our body, movement, breath, temperature, posture

   • mentally in the narratives, belief systems, patterns and language we use (internal and external)

   • emotionally in the feeling and sensing of our vast intuition, our truths, our needs and boundaries

   • spiritually in why we practice, how we show up, who we are becoming and how much we accept/embrace it

2. Relational

   • care for other people in authentic dignity, respect and consideration

   • reducing the harm we perpetuate from our individual and cultural conditioning (with the radical empowerment to un/re-learn and abolish systems of oppression in all spaces they show up)

   • opportunities to tend to the resources we use without scarcity and excessive-extraction rooted in awareness and acknowledgement: from everyday objects used in our privilege to our collective care of land

3. Environmental

   • navigation through personal surroundings, workplaces, public spaces and more without violence or threat

   • capacity for and celebration of diversity across cultures (ethnical, cultural, social and more)

   • choice within systems built to benefit certain individuals at the cost of others: notice what is possible when we have mindfully rested to face, dismantle and heal from discrimination, oppression and exploitation
     

Being mindful is not binary nor will it be perfect. Do not let colonial capitalism leave you frustrated, hopeless or overwhelmed about what being mindful must mean. There is no pass/fail and no graded test. You are the only person on the planet who knows how mindful you are being; your honest relationship with yourself will guide your processes. Being mindful is a malleable skill that can be refined and supported at any moment you choose. We can honor that every bit counts. It’s the least we can do with our limited conscience while the rest of our sub and unconscious continue to process our existence.

Think of the last time you weren’t mindful. Chances are we’ve hit the peak of less-than-mindful-moments throughout the 2020-2021 global traumas alone. It’s one aspect of why what we try to do takes a little bit longer than what we wanted and with a form of conflict we never intended. So inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And exhale slowly for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

5 Elements of Mindfulness can be regarded through

• Observation: identifying what is here

• Description: naming what is here

• Awareness: noticing what is here

• Non-judgment: without labels or narratives (discernment that does not include ‘good vs bad’)

• Non-reactivity to the internal experience: allowing what is here without immediately rushing to fix, avoid or control

The more often we allow our humanity (and give ourselves to be resting as humans) the more grace and compassion is available to our complex inner workings.

One form of practicing the cultivation of mindfulness is through meditation. With over hundreds of methods from multiple lineages originating from Eastern culture and tradition, the rest is up to you.

Questions, shares and/or feedback? Connect with me here.