How To Be Mindful

[Samuel Garcia]

They say be mindful what ever you do throughout your day. I may be sounding silly, but how? Which technique (if any) should be used? 

Is it best to do the labeling method (hear,feel, see)? I don't think so because there is so much going on it is hard to focus on one sensory channel for at least 5 seconds. For example as I type this, there are sounds of the keys, seeing the letters on the key boards, seeing the letters appear on the screen, the feeling of the chair on my body, feeling the ground on the feet, the voice in my head etc. 

Focusing on the breath as anchor would be distracting to what I am doing. So would be feeling the body. Any advice? 

Also, what do you do if your waiting? What mindfulness would be best? Listen to thoughts? Focusing on the breath? Labelling? Vipassana body scan? Which one?

[SOUL]

Seems like you are overthinking it and that doesn't equate to mindfulness so leave all those ideas and techniques to themselves. Awaken to our awareness at the seat of consciousness being diffused and open but if our mind's attention is caught by something let it be what it is and accept it as it is.

Edited June 10, 2017 by SOUL

[Joseph Maynor]

Here's what I do.  I practice 1 hour of meditation daily, which includes: 20 minutes of concentration practice, 10 minutes of do nothing meditation, 10 minutes of active release meditation, 10 minutes of awareness focus meditation, and 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation.  Then, throughout the day I embrace emptiness and try to maintain awareness.  This becomes more and more sustainable when your daily meditation practice gets really locked in.  But be mindful of distracting yourself from being in emptiness.  You wanna learn to embrace that emptiness and be mindful of objects as they come through your input portals to keep your monkey-mind from having you go down too many crazy rabbit-holes.  When you are aware of the nature of the inputs the monkey-mind can't sabotage you as frequently.  This is why mindfulness meditation is so important and useful in practice.  It's a bubble-burster.  You will realize -- that's just a thought, it has nothing to do with that person.  And the pre-neurotic issue drops away.  The rabbit hole never has a chance to form in the first place.  So you can use mindfulness to prevent obstacles like rabbit holes, overthinking, and negative emotions, as well as other neat stuff like auto-correcting problems.  

Edited June 12, 2017 by Joseph Maynor