Tuesday, February 10, 2015

When Mindfulness Risks Becoming Mindlessness

Repost From March 2013

Mindfulness meditation has been unequaled in helping me navigate the stressors that can rob me of the beauty of each moment.  It has helped me manage a serious mental illness, and it has helped me confront major and minor roadblocks that threaten to derail all of my plans.  In fact, I believe that anyone can benefit from this practice. And therein lies the problem.  Mindfulness should be about fully experiencing the present moment — taking in all that is around us non-judgmentally, and sharing empathy for the plight of others we encounter. But it threatens to become an individual pursuit.

Time spent in meditation, relaxation, and contemplation can devolve into self-absorption. The meditator risks becoming detached from his own experience, and the experience of those close to him. One can see meditation as a panacea for all ills, and resist putting in the hard work required to overcome obstacles and to face adversity.