Using mindfulness in normal day to day activities – informal meditation practice

Mindfulness meditation in its most basic sense is the purest form of awareness meditation practice. Mindfulness can be practiced both formally, sitting for an allotted time period in a prepared room, and informally, which is at any other time. This article discusses the benefits of informal mindfulness practice and how to make a habit of it.

 

Just like in a formal mindfulness meditation practice, during an informal mindfulness meditation practice a light focus is placed upon the breath. The breath should be used as a consistent anchor to the present moment.

 

However as we tend to be doing things when practicing informal mindfulness it makes more sense to instead focus on the sensations which are occurring to us in that moment.

 

Our primary goal is to let go of any thoughts which arise and maintain our attention in awareness of all the sensations of the present moment.

 

An informal mindfulness meditation practice should be used in conjunction with a formal practice. Both have their advantages. An informal mindfulness practice can be performed at any point during any day.

 

A mind with a well trained present moment awareness is one free from suffering and diversion. A person with such a mind is one who is peaceful and serene.

 

 

The best way of introducing an informal mindfulness meditation practice into your daily routines is to choose a repetitive simple task which you perform on a regular basis. For example brushing your teeth, or ironing your clothes.

 

For the next few weeks every time you perform said task you aim to be mindful of all the present moment sensations occurring from the moment you being till the moment you finish.

 

If you chose brushing your teeth, for example, you would be focusing upon the feeling of the brush against your teeth, the sensation of toothpaste in your mouth, the feeling of the brush in your hand, the sound of the brush against your teeth, and so on.

 

As normal if a thought arises then let go of it and return your focus to the present moment sensations.

 

It may help to have a reminder which helps you remember to be mindful of the activity you chose. For example you could tie an orange bow around your toothbrush. When you come to brush your teeth the bow will remind you to be mindful of the moment.

 

To begin with it may feel difficult to experience the moment without intruding thoughts - do not be concerned as this is completely normal. Accept everything that comes and observe it with awareness. Let go of all thoughts and experience all feelings.

 

There is no resistance in mindfulness, there is only acceptance and release.

 

After a relatively short amount of time, a week or so, you will find that the activity becomes habitually associated with your informal mindfulness meditation practice.

 

At which stage you can begin to expand your practice to other activities.

 

 

A list of activities which I recommend, in roughly the order of complexity, are as follows:

 

Eating or drinking

Brushing teeth

Showering or bathing

Working out

Ironing clothes

Making hot drinks

Making the bed

Washing up the dishes

Doing the laundry

Walking (in a certain area)

Writing

Typing

Preparing food

Walking (everywhere)

Talking on the phone

Driving

Talking face to face to people

When getting to sleep

Everything!

 

As a general rule the busier the activity is with sensation the more advanced is the ability to remain focused in the present. This is why formal practice is emphasised as something to perform alongside an informal practice – this is particularly important for beginners.

 

The popular book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a great book to read about informal mindfulness practice (he refers to it as being in the moment).