How to do mindfulness and meditation

In fact, for ordinary people who are new to it, the core operating logic is not complicated at all. To put it bluntly, it is just to bring your attention back to the real perception of the moment without judgment. There is no need to prepare any aromatherapy, yoga mats in advance, or even spend a long time deliberately. Let’s just say that when someone stepped on your foot while squeezing in the subway during the morning rush hour, you were about to get angry at the top of your head, and your mind had already begun to string together a series of annoying things such as “Why are you so unlucky today? You worked overtime until two o’clock last night and have to catch up with the weekly newspaper today.” If you could stop at this time 3 Seconds, you can feel the texture of the soles of your sneakers rubbing against the steps, and the hot breath from the mask makes the tip of your nose feel itchy. Even in these three seconds, you have completed a mini mindfulness exercise, which is much more effective than sitting for half an hour with your mind racing.

Of course, practitioners with different backgrounds have always had different tendencies regarding how to practice. Most of the teachers who have followed the traditional Vipassana system for more than ten years will emphasize the importance of regular formal practice. Take 15 to 20 minutes every day and find a corner where you will not be easily disturbed. You can sit on a chair or sit cross-legged. The spine should be naturally straight without deliberately stretching it. Just focus on your nose gently. Touch the breathing in and out of the hole, or the rise and fall of the chest and abdomen. If your mind wanders, gently pull it back. This action itself is the core practice. In the long run, the stability of your attention will be significantly improved. It is suitable for people who clearly want to improve long-term anxiety and sleep problems. However, psychological counselors who do clinical mindfulness intervention often give more down-to-earth advice: For most ordinary people who are squeezed out of their energy by work and family every day, forcing time to do formal meditation will easily lead to the guilt of "I have not completed the practice goal." It is better to break down the practice into the gaps in life-waiting for takeaways Feel the temperature coming from the plastic lunch box for 1 minute. When brushing your teeth, carefully feel the friction of the toothbrush bristles on the teeth. Don't watch short videos while eating. Chew the food carefully for three bites to taste the original taste. These fragmented exercises have a very low threshold. On the contrary, they are easier to stick to and will not add extra burden to life.

I met a girl who was an e-commerce operator before. She couldn't sleep for two consecutive weeks and had to take half a sleeping pill. She initially followed the trend and bought a meditation APP membership, forcing herself to sit for 20 minutes before going to bed every day. However, she gave up after sitting for three days. She said that her mind was filled with the need to change the live broadcast script for tomorrow and the lack of back-end after-sales service. The more she sat, the more panicked she became. Later, I asked her to move the practice to the 30 seconds when she collects water every morning. She just stares at the water pouring into the cup, and feels the weight of the cup as it slowly sinks. She has been practicing like this for less than two months. She told me last time that when she encounters a situation where the live broadcast plan needs to be changed temporarily, she will not cry in a hurry like before. She can take a glass of hot water and take two sips for two seconds, and she has stopped taking sleeping pills long ago.

When many people first start practicing, they always worry about "Why am I always distracted, am I not suitable for practicing this". In fact, it is completely unnecessary. Mindfulness meditation never requires you to have no thoughts in your mind. That state of emptiness is not something that can be entered at any time, let alone novices. People who have practiced it for many years cannot enter it at any time. You treat your attention like a curious little corgi. You let it squat at your feet and watch its breathing. Then it smells the smell and goes to "the report due tomorrow" and "the trouble with my friend last week." You don't have to scold it "Why are you so disobedient?"