QUESTIONS

1. When brushing my teeth in the morning, I pay attention to the feel of the bristles against my teeth and gums, and the taste in my mouth:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

2. I set aside time each day to sit quietly and meditate:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

3. Getting to work, I experience each step I take, noticing the ground, my feet, my legs and the feeling of the air against my skin:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

4. During the day, I am conscious of my thoughts as they arise. I notice when a thought has taken me for a ride (or has begun to run me in circles) and choose to place my attention elsewhere:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

5. When I’m working, I can sustain and focus my attention and am able to think creatively and clearly, without being seduced by the lure of Instagram or emails:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

6. I am able to listen attentively to others without the loudness of my own thoughts clamouring to be heard:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

7. I am aware of the sensations in my body when difficult feelings arise. I use my breath to help anchor me and allow myself to notice whatever is present:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

8. When I eat, I appreciate the flavours and textures of the food. I recognise that what I am eating has grown beneath the sun, and been harvested and prepared prior to reaching the table:

A. Often
B. Sometimes
C. Rarely
D. Never

MOSTLY As

LIVING LIFE. Well, you are definitely a human being, and not just a human doing. You feel alive and see life in full colour. It’s likely you savour even the smallest of experiences in your day, every day, and witness with clarity and compassion your own human struggles and those of others, be they family, friends or strangers.

Try… You may already be familiar with Vietnamese peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh’s writings. If you are, you may like to be reminded of his suggestions that you should ‘walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet’ and ‘smile, breathe and go slowly’.

MOSTLY Bs

ALMOST THERE. You’re likely to be aware that you are much happier when you find time to meditate, and yet life takes over and before you know it, it’s been days or weeks since you last did. You may even be mystified about why you don’t make more time for the things that you know really support you. It’s possible you notice difficult thoughts and feelings, and quite often make use of the skills you’ve learned through mindfulness meditation in managing your experience.

Try… Think about whether you prioritise time for doing, but not being. Grab your diary and schedule in a pocket of time each day to sit and just breathe.

MOSTLY Cs

GIVE IT TIME. You’re likely to have had some experience of mindfulness, perhaps through an introductory session at work or a mindfulness app, but you’ve not had quite enough practice to really notice the benefits. Maybe, once in a blue moon, you attempt to see if meditation works for you, and you occasionally remember to notice your body when you’re walking and to really taste the food when you’re eating.

Try… Consider how curious you feel about what mindfulness might have to offer if you really committed to it. If you’re tempted to give it a go, sign up for an online course or find one that’s local to you. Check out bemindful.org.uk

MOSTLY Ds

STOP AND SEE. Clearly, you are busy. That may even be an understatement. You grab lunch at your desk (if you get the chance), work long days and play hard at the weekends. You’ve heard of mindfulness  – who hasn’t? Worries don’t tend to run you in circles – you move too fast for them – but sometimes they disrupt your sleep. Perhaps you only really stop when you’re unwell and, even then, you do your best to keep going. It might not be that you’re totally uninterested in mindfulness – maybe you think you just haven’t
got time for sitting down and doing nothing.

Try… You may be interested to know that sitting practising mindfulness meditation for a period each day can actually make you more efficient during the rest of the day. Mindfulness can save you time. Download the Basics pack from the Headspace app and give yourself a free 10-day beginner’s trial.

FIND YOUR BALANCE: EXPLORING MINDFULNESS

PRACTICAL FOCUS: If you’re sitting reading on your commute, take your attention away from the screen and focus on your feet. Explore what you can sense in your feet and skin, and also if there’s a tingling or fuzzing within your feet.

For the next minute, focus on your breath. Stay with your breath for a full inhalation and exhalation. Each time you find yourself waiting for anything, pause and notice your breathing.

When you continue your journey, focus your attention for a stretch of your commute on the sensations of your body walking. Think about the feeling of your feet lifting up and then touching the ground, then turn your attention to your legs and the rest of your body.

ADDRESS THE MOMENT: If a worrying thought starts to circle in your head, gently acknowledge the thought and then move your focus back to your breath.

Professor Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman’s Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World is an excellent grounding in mindfulness and mindful practices. Material from this classic is available online, through their app.

THE FUTURE: Alongside clinical trials that support its many benefits, there has also been the spread of ‘McMindfulness’ – commercialisation of mindfulness by brands that want to cast themselves in a positive light.

Will these radical practices that can alter our capacity for awareness and the quality of our everyday lives become lost as they enter mainstream society? It seems unlikely – the roots of this particular tree have already survived 2,000 years.