sustaining attention

looking into the three different skills comprising mindfulness, we notice that, although each is unique, it is their working together which allows mindfulness to arise in consciousness.

balancing states of consciousness

the state of mindfulness is not a “something” which you can reach through doing, or thinking about, but an active process of regulating other less functional states, to experience the ever-present mindfulness. it is naturally present when you’re not caught in another state, like anger or non-attention.

reflect on what your mental state is like when you’re concentrating. you may be deeply focused on something, to such an extent that you cannot respond attentively to someone who might be talking. absorption is a state where consciousness draws even more inward, so that you also lose connection with external senses. you are not asleep, but deeply absorbed in your interior experience. on the other side of states of consciousness, we are all familiar with identified thought. you think unconsciously (you are lost in thought), and your mental state naturally changes to whatever you’re identified with in that moment. one moment you feel good because something has come together. the next, you’re upset because something has fallen apart. such identified thought turns into reaction, where you’ve become so deeply identified with your interpretation of what is happening in your (unconscious) thinking world, that you “see” a clear “right,” or “wrong.” you feel either a deep longing (wanting), or intense irritation/fear (not wanting). your reaction speaks of what you find unbearable, or “must (not) have.” your reaction has little to do with the situation itself.

with mindfulness, we become aware of these processes that happen in our states of consciousness, and continually restore or sustain the mindful state. we are aware of our experience (attentive), openly accept what appears in consciousness (good or bad), and discern the different sensate and interior voices in our experience with clarity (inner-outer awareness). we maintain this balance through applying more awareness to the sense field when we feel ourselves drawing into concentration or absorption, and applying greater focus (on the mindfulness object) when mind becomes identified, follows thought, or becomes reactive.

mindfulness is always "on"

let’s see whether we can recognize the state of mindfulness in our memory. do you remember a time when you experienced a state of deep, curious focus? we may even remember becoming so deeply focused that everything slowed down, and we experienced a “flow” state in which things felt effortless and self-fulfilling. such a state is an example of the focused aspect of mindfulness. due to the right conditions, it appeared temporarily, but we can develop our mindfulness to the point where we can choose to enter into it easily.

in that state the senses experience with great clarity and vividness. you may have recognized this enhanced clarity at the time, and even your memory of the state will be vivid and rich. the state is reflective of the sensory clarity of our experience. when mindfulness matures, this state is easily recognizable in our experience, and can be accessed at will.

some of those vividly alive moments in your life may have been associated with pain or an accident. and yet, whilst you were in the experience, there was no sense of time or discomfort, even though you may have been in a situation of being wounded. that is an example of an allowing openness, or peacefulness. at the time it happened, it was the product of shock, but when mindfulness matures, it becomes part of everyday experience.

the way to experience nowness is to realize that this very moment, this very point in your life, is always the occasion. so the consideration of where you are and what you are, on the spot, is very important. that is one reason that your family situation, your domestic everyday life, is so important. you should regard your home as sacred, as a golden opportunity to experience nowness. appreciating sacredness begins very simply by taking an interest in all the details of your life. interest is simply applying awareness to what goes on in your everyday life – awareness while you’re cooking, awareness while you’re driving, awareness while you’re changing diapers, even awareness while you’re arguing. such awareness can help to free you from speed, chaos, neurosis, and resentment of all kinds. it can free you from the obstacles to nowness, so that you can cheer up on the spot, all the time.​

Chögyam Trungpa​

what you miss in identified thought

most of us will be more familiar with the opposite states to mindfulness. we may remember situations where, due to being unfocused or inattentive, we missed important information, and found ourselves in a pickle. inattentiveness is the cause of accidents, relationship misunderstandings, poor communication, and harm. it is also a deep disrespect to your own presence, and that of the other. lack of sensory clarity will include states of overwhelm, where you felt so flustered that you became self-conscious, or self-absorbed, and reactive. lack of clarity leads to confusion and suffering. the opposite state to peaceful, is fear. you may even be in a good experience, or enjoying something, and start feeling fear for losing it, or not getting enough of it. this restless thinking state is so focused on outcomes, that it cannot be present to enjoy the experience.

what happens during the state of awareness?

regulation of attention — the ability to focus and hold attention, receiving more information.

sense awareness — awareness of field, grounded in “now” rather than thought/feeling.

dual awareness — awareness of awareness, that includes experiencing (witnessing) self, mental processes, the other, and the relational space.

emotion regulation — supports consciousness to recognize triggers and inhibit reaction.

healthy adaptation and agency — the world is not happening to me (victim), ​but from me (agency).

one way in which we can understand the nature of awareness is to see mind-body as a screen or canvas where interactions between brain and senses continually create a changing image or movie. visualize something, and the image changes. focus on the next few breaths, and it changes again. the object of our practice is to notice what fills the canvas in each moment. we become aware of the content of our awareness. attention is like the beam of a spotlight. it picks out an object amongst many, and focuses on it. it then maintains that priority (object) in awareness. the effect is a mind that feels anchored and in the “now.” awareness is the light itself. it is aware of its own beam (attention), as much as its field (senses and interior perception). the final ingredient is allowing, accepting, or being with our experience.

expanding the field of awareness

presence

when we are present to ourselves and another, we are alert without being vigilant. we’re alert, not out of fear, but out of love. this means we are truly interested and ready to respond. in meeting with another or a situation, we orient ourselves by focusing on specific information, not with the intent to defend, but to understand. we’re also aware of our own interior state, as much as that of the other, and continually applying emotion regulation to stay present to this moment.

mood and emotion can change from moment to moment. take a moment right now and feel into your own mood. can you identify it? now think of one of your simple pleasures. has the emotion changed? emotion regulation (self-regulation) means that we are employing strategies to influence which emotions arise, when and how long they occur, how they’re experienced, and how they’re expressed. mindful people would easily report that they experience less negative emotions, since they manage them as soon as they arise.

mindfulness as part of everyday action

so, what does it mean then to be present for reality? it means to perceive directly (through the senses and perception), without interpretation, defense, or identification. to be like a mirror (to reality) where nothing is distorted, and nothing remains when the reflection changes. this is not easy. our cognitive distortions, emotional interpretation and defensiveness are ingrained in our behavior and speech. we therefore need to become mindful so that we can notice our blind spots if we are to see more clearly. and it is totally possible. we can begin the journey by keeping the following in mind in our daily being.

mindfulness in daily interaction

see resources below for more information on practicing mindfulness in everyday life.