Remember to Notice

We have been exploring the practice of “Remembering to notice the movement of the mind” both during formal practice and when we are engaged with our daily life. This practice of mindfulness enables us to see the workings of the mind: the arising of thoughts, the feeling tone that is present with each arising, and the tendency of the mind to react in habitual ways to positive or negative feeling tones.

If you engage with this practice, it is important to understand these different stages of the arising and dissolution of thoughts, as this awareness is key to refining our practice.

When we notice the feeling tone (positive, negative, or neutral) that arises with a thought, we notice the desire to cling to the thought or to push it away or to ignore it. Just that simple awareness, in the moment of arising, provides you the space to decide to respond to that feeling with thoughtful awareness rather than a habitual reaction.

We can notice that giving our attention to a thought will perpetuate a storyline in the mind and withdrawing our attention can allow that same thought to dissolve. We may even be able, after some time with this practice, to notice the passing away of a thought and follow that trail of energy back to its source, our conscious awareness.

Seeing and understanding the movement of the mind can give us confidence in our practice. We have begun to be more aware and responsive to the activity of the mind, with an ability to respond skillfully, rather than react from habit, to the situations life presents. We may notice when we are holding onto a storyline and then be able to release the grip on that thought, thus relaxing the mind. This noticing also clearly shows the insubstantial and transitory nature of all of our thoughts, leading us to recommendation: “Don’t believe everything you think.”

Remembering to notice the movement of the mind is encouraged during our sitting practice, but it can be even more helpful during our daily life. However, that requires a commitment and dedication to practicing this mindful awareness.

See if you can make the commitment to remember mindfulness one day at a time.