In learning more about how mindfulness can be incorporated into our daily lives, let us start by knowing what mindfulness is not:
It’s not about having a vacant mind or silencing our thoughts. You don’t try to empty away your mind of anything. With mindfulness, you are simply redirecting your mind to be conscious of the sensory experiences that come to you in the moment and to be aware of these experiences without judging.
It’s not a force in which you try to stop your thinking, but simply developing a different approach to your thoughts. You adopt the mode of an observer, in which you only witness these thoughts and emotions as they come and go.
A blank mind or something they call “flow state” may also happen with exhaustive practice. This state of mind is often experienced by people who have been so immersed in their field of expertise. It is usually applicable to motor skills or activities that involve movement such as painting, dancing, ballet, etc. Dean Potter, a famous climber, had been one of those people who was able to switch into this zone for more than an hour.
Many of us may have experienced the flow state of mind at some point in our lives, perhaps for a fleeting moment. But for purposes of information registration and memory retention, we approach mindfulness as a normal state of mind rather than as a remote mental dimension.
Note that the ability to achieve a flow state is a result of mastering the art of mindfulness, in the same way that becoming a better learner and the refined ability to focus are just the results of the latter. That is why a line of distinction must be made between mindfulness practices and the “flow” state, because it’s unlikely that the flow state is applicable while you’re still trying to learn something.
It’s not about withdrawing from society or living an isolated life. This is again another misconception brought about by what we usually associate mindfulness to. Just because it is usually practiced by people who meditate, doesn’t mean it is just limited to people like this.
In fact, the nuns and monks that practice this are not really withdrawn from society; of all people, they are the ones who live a rich life, being immersed mostly in suffering and misery as they see life from a perspective of interacting with the common people and with nature.
It’s not about trying to drive away pain and negative emotions. The opposite is true: Being mindful may vivify one’s experience of pain, grief, sadness and other downbeat emotions. Yet, you’ll suffer less because you don’t try to escape these emotions nor resist them.