Have you ever done some chores at home successfully, but when you finished, you realized you had no recollection of the steps you followed or the ways you might have used to do them?

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If you are not an exception, your answer to this question will probably be a resounding yes. Then how often do you think your attention is drifting to something other than your current task? According to a 2010 study carried out by two Harvard professors, we are not paying attention to what we are actually doing, almost 47% of the time.

How about being more specific? What are you paying attention to at the moment while reading this piece? Think about it. Are you thinking about the lesson you need to plan? The bills to pay? The papers to mark?

Although you may think that it is not a big deal that your attention wanders, research clearly shows that people are consistently less happy when their minds are wandering. Do you know why that is the case? There is actually a straightforward explanation: When we are not paying close attention or operating with a kind of automaticity, we become virtually unprotected. We can use “the guard” metaphor here to refer to serious attention that is supposed to keep us safe but has fallen asleep on the job. Therefore, we become more vulnerable to anxiety, stress, and depression. As scary as the situation may sound, the solution, on the other hand, is quite simple: Mindfulness. 

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness can be defined as the act of paying attention, on purpose, to all pieces of our experience with an attitude of open acceptance. With this deliberate attention, we start to notice new things, which puts you in the present, and we come to see the things we thought we knew, but we did not know very well at all, which then brings our attention back to them. Once we take

the steering wheel of our attention again, mindfulness enables us to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing. 

What are the attitudinal foundations of mindfulness? 

The following qualities provide us guidance on channeling our energies in learning who we are and how we want to develop. 

  • Not being judgmental
  • Having the ability to bring patience to experience
  • Developing a beginner’s mindset
  • Trusting our intelligence
  • Practicing a non-striving mindset
  • Acceptance
  • Practiced non-attachment

In which areas does developing mindfulness contribute most?

Over time deliberate attention on certain things and noticing the wandering mind and coming back to experience help us notice and quit the unconscious habit. Research indicates that mindfulness assists most in the following areas: 

  • Stress reduction
  • Health and immune function
  • Focus and attention
  • Handling difficult emotions

What activities support mindfulness?

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To start, here are some of the basic activities you can try to reduce the stress and improve your attention:

  • Mindful seated breathing – focusing on your breath through your nose, your chest, or your abdomen (wherever you notice it most in your body)
  • Mindful listening (being present in the conversation)
  • A body scan practice 
  • Mindful moments (bringing your thoughts to your daily routines and being attentive when you are washing up, driving to work, eating breakfast, or showering)

I would like to conclude the first part of the mindfulness series I will be sharing on this blog with a beautiful story I read on “Teaching Mindfulness” (2010) by Donald McCown, Diane Reibel, and Marc S. Micozzi.
“A stranger comes to a little community that’s been under great stress, where food is scarce, and where people have drawn away from each other and are looking out for themselves. The stranger manages to borrow a cooking pot and starts making soup. He begins with a “magic” ingredient, a stone, maybe a button, or even a nail. The community members become interested in what he is doing, and each secretly comes for a look at the pot. The stranger stirs and tastes. “Ah, it is coming along nicely,” he says. “But it would be really wonderful if it had just a little something extra, like a potato, maybe…,” he says to one visitor in just the way she needs to hear it. She goes off inspired to find something to offer. “…like a carrot,” he says in his just-right way to another. Later, “… a cabbage,” and then “…some beans.” And soon, there is a shy parade of community folks bringing ingredients and standing around a pot that’s now aswim with good things — enough for everyone. They share a meal. There is even a little music. Someone sings; another finds his fiddle; there is dancing into the night. And the stranger has already gone, picking up a new “magic” stone on his way to the next community.”

McCown, Reibel & Micozzi, 2010, p. 91

What is your take of the story? Is it something about the “magic” stone or the stranger’s presence – more specifically his ability to be present for everyone? Do you also believe that we should start from being present in our lives to be present for others? If your answer is yes, you can start practicing the activities I shared above and get ready for the next part about how to become mindful language teachers for our students. 

BONUS PRACTICE

An Inquiry of Your Motivation*

Find a quiet place (a distractor-free environment),
Choose a comfortable sitting position,
Close your eyes if that is comfortable,
Direct your attention to your body,
Notice the seat beneath you,
Feel your breath and follow it in your body,
Breathe in through your nose counting to 3 or 5,
Breathe out through your mouth counting to 5 or 8,
If your attention wanders to something else, kindly take it back to your breathing,
When you feel your mind settling, begin your mindful inquiry by dropping this question into the silence…
“What brings you to this blog post?”**
Notice the answers that pop up to your mind,
Sit and listen to yourself in silence,
And when you are ready to ask the question again…
“What brings you to this blog post”
Sit and listen to yourself in silence again,
Repeat the question and allow answers to reveal themselves to you, from a deeper and deeper place within…
“What brings you to this blog post?” (Adapted from McCown, Reibel & Micozzi, 2010)

*, ** These can be adapted to any issue that you would like to inquire further.

Sources to Further Read on:

  • Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological inquiry, 18(4), 211-237.
  • Langer, E. J. (2016). The power of mindful learning. Hachette UK.
  • Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness. Journal of clinical psychology, 62(3), 373-386.

Courses to Attend Online

  • Foundations of Mindfulness by Dr. Elizabeth Slator from Rice University on Coursera
  • De-Mystifying Mindfulness by Prof. Dr. Chris Goto-Jones from Leiden University