[122] Mindfulness Practice - From Doing Mode to Being Mode

Thank you very much for visiting.

I have been studying mindfulness using the following text for a while now.
I am currently practicing this as well, and I will be summarizing it little by little.

This workbook is compiled as exercises based on the following text by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, and the content allows you to learn mindfulness while practicing it.

There are two types of mindfulness practice methods

Through mindfulness, you can begin to notice habitual thought patterns and behaviors, and improve your physical and mental health.

However, as long as reality is far from your ideals, it is difficult to objectively observe the problems in your own mind and behavior.

First, use mindfulness to step back from the flow of emotional wounds, aversion, and fantasies, and create a "space" to simply observe them as they drift in and out of your mind.

This allows you to accept difficult emotions and thoughts, see their causes more clearly, and bring about further acceptance and peace of mind.

This mindfulness can be practiced in two ways: "informal" and "formal".

1. Informal Practice

Regardless of where or when, you direct mindful awareness toward daily activities such as eating or exercising. These are the exercises I have been doing in the following text, such as "focusing on eating," "eating with your non-dominant hand," or "complimenting someone."

2. Formal Practice

This involves intentionally focusing on breathing, bodily sensations, sounds, thoughts, and emotions while sitting, standing, or lying down. You set aside time for this in your daily life.

Mindfulness meditation falls into this category.

This time, I will be covering this formal practice.

Formal Practice - Mindful Check-in

Mindful Check-in is a short 3-minute practice.
This practice provides the following benefits:

■ Recognize how you are feeling in your mind and body, and "bring yourself back to this present moment"

■ Switch from "doing mode" to "being mode"
　"Doing mode" is a state of mind where you try to solve or push away problems. It is effective for practical problems, but using it for emotional problems will only lead to more suffering.

　"Being mode" is a state of mind where you accept the situation as it is. Mindfulness emphasizes this state.


The steps are as follows:

1. Make time for your mind to calm down, even if it is just a little. Keep things that distract you, like your phone, as far away as possible.

2. Praise yourself for making time for meditation.

3. Take a posture of either lying down or sitting with your back straight.
　* If you are likely to fall asleep, it is better to sit with good posture.

4. Close your eyes.
　* If you are likely to fall asleep, it is also fine to keep your eyes slightly open.

5. Focus your awareness on your body and mind, and let your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations flow.

6. Use these 3 minutes solely to check in with yourself.

Perform this practice as often as possible during the day to integrate it into your daily life.
For formal practice, decide on the timing in advance and be strict about the time.

For example, it is good to decide on times like when you wake up, before going to bed, before or after meals, or while bathing.


When people hear "meditation," they often think, "I must reach a state of nothingness" or "I must not let distracting thoughts arise," but that is not the case. It is more about letting yourself go with the flow of thoughts that arise and disappear.

Sometimes familiar music might be heard, events from today might come to mind, or you might find the sensation of doing this meditation strange.
In the midst of this, there are moments when you feel the sensation of your whole body suddenly floating and rising, or a feeling of tingling in your forehead.

You do the 3-minute meditation as if you are simply observing those changes.

This leads to physical and mental health and a sense of well-being. Since this is a practice for that purpose, make sure to take time for it during the day.

I am doing this in combination with the informal practice of being in the "here and now," and by practicing it immediately when my mind is disturbed, I have become able to return to neutral right away. Learning breathing techniques as well seems likely to increase the effectiveness even further.

I have decided to record these practice sessions from now on as well.

Thank you very much for reading this far.
I am grateful for your continued visits and for your likes and follows.

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