Being Mindful

This article explains what being mindful is, the benefits and simple exercises through which a person can attain a mindful state. Being mindful is an important element on the path to Enlightenment. It means being aware of the movements happening internally and externally. It means not thinking of the past or the future. It means a person observes things in his surrounds deeply like in rapt attention. His mind is like a rock not moving to what is happening externally but is silently watching like a spectator. His mind is not like the water in the pond in which waves can be generated by throwing a rock.

The Mindful state can only be experienced; it is like being in the moment, similar to a Zen like state. Have you ever watched the discovery channel a scene where the tiger is about to make a kill. Before setting out it becomes totally still. It watches silently and then makes a move at the best opportune moment. Similarly watch the Kendo fights you would see stillness and rapid movements. This is quite unlike a person in daily life we as adults involuntary make several movements some people are in the habit of shaking their legs while sitting or looking here and there.

Being mindful has its own vast array of life transforming benefits some of the obvious ones like elimination of stress, happiness, focused mind, good memory and sharp observation skills. A person could write a book on the various benefits with such a small thing as being mindful. And these benefits cannot be obtained through buying any man made luxury item, health product or driving a FerrariJ.

The question comes how to achieve a Mindful state. How to achieve the state of the no mind? There are several techniques to it. I will share some simple techniques that you can follow anywhere you are. You don't need to go to the Himalayas or vacation to a distant meditation resort. You can be in a meeting room full of people and you can practice it. You can be doing anything and still you can follow these simple techniques to become mindful.

Lets start with a quite common technique. This technique involves counting the breaths at exhalation. When you breath in and breath out count this as 1, say 1 in your mind and do this till you have counted 100 breaths. It is a very subtle but a very powerful technique which the Buddhist monks have been teaching and practicing themselves. It can also be evolved into various different forms. When a person counts his breaths, his breathing becomes better and normal, anything on which the consciousness ponders there is chi or Qi as the Chinese call it and also the foundation of Reiki. It also helps in moving the mind away from any external disturbances or thoughts from the past or worries of the future.

You need to begin with this meditation technique for a start and it can also be evolved into various forms like counting the steps taken while walking or observing and counting any movement happening externally. At the same time one needs to minimize one's own body movements and staying still. You will notice that on following this even for a couple of days you feel refreshed, exhilarated and finally start realizing the benefits of meditation.

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