Mindfulness practice is all about multitasking - meditation while doing something.

If you want to practice meditation, you can do it!

Don’t say you don’t have time for meditation. There is a kind of meditation you can practice while doing things. It’s mindfulness practice. Mindfulness practice is meditation while doing things. It’s like multitasking. Read about it in a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, or Google around about various forms of meditation-in-action, such as the Japanese tea ceremony, Zen archery, Iaijutsu, Ikebana (flower arranging) and any of the “do” (i.e. “Way): Shiatsu-do, Kendo, Judo, Karate-do, Shodo -- and likewise, we are developing our own mindfulness art: the “Step Aside" of writing and Document Kung Fu.

Meditative art forms are based on mindfulness practice. It's physical practice done in a meditative way.  Jon Kabat-Zinn has written that to look at something in a meditative way is to look at it without judging it. That means the voice of the mind is silent, and 100% of your attention can be directed toward enjoying the clear, hypnotic experience of the present moment.

Doctor My Document philosophy is influenced by the teachers of this kind of meditation-in-action....
Look at Thich Nhat Hanh’s books about mindfulness; look at Eckhart Toll’s The Power of Now; look at the famous book by Eugene Herrigel, Zen in the Art of Archery. Do you know the one I’m talking about? Herrigel writes about his meditation training in Japan, which began with the practice of Zen Archery. Anyway, the point is that meditation can be ongoing. You can meditate while you do things.

The idea is not as esoteric as some people think. It's just good, old-fashioned concentration.  Can you feel the material of your shirt on your shoulders right now?  Are you aware of the clear, sharp detail in the scenery of your peripheral vision?  I am not, but as I become more skilled at meditation in action I will become more mindful of these things.

The practice starts with awareness of your breathing. Breath meditation is something usually done in a seated position.  Be aware of the breathing. Be aware when you swallow saliva. Be aware of the stability of your posture, and be aware enough to know whether you are holding unnecessary muscle tension as the result of emotional duress. Be aware of the upright, relaxed posture and the looseness of the elastic lungs.

Bring all your awareness into the body. That means you need to temporarily forget about the crap or your life situation. Now, in mindfulness practice, or meditation-in-action, you simply add one more thing to pay attention to.  It's the action.  Use a simple action over which you can pour your whole attention. Try meditation while walking first, because that is one of the most profound mindfulness practices.  Mindful of the breath, the body, the penetrating sensation of relaxation and energy filling the body like a balloon, relaxing it.

It’s a simple matter of multitasking. Do your work, but keep some attention on balanced posture, profound breathing, and electric relaxation that penetrates all tension, down to the bone.

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