- Albert Tiong
Welcome to your first introduction to mindfulness practice. Many people think Mindfulness is a form of meditation. In fact, you don’t have to meditate in order to experience Mindfulness. We call it a practice because it should be done repeatedly. Just like exercise, over a period of time you will be able to start controlling what you think.
This practice is an introduction to Mindfulness. If any thoughts or emotions come into your mind while doing it, it’s OK. Be aware of them, and bring your attention back to what you are focusing on and let the thoughts and emotions pass by.
1. Sit down at a table with a small object in front of you, for example, a cup.
2. Look at the object closely for a few minutes. Don’t touch it, but just look at it without judgement.
3. Focus on your sensation. While seated, close your eyes and be aware of any physical sensation, where the parts of your body touches your clothes, chair, floor, table, etc.
4. Spend a few minutes focusing your mind on what you can hear. It could be the sound of your breathing, your neighbor talking to someone, or the traffic outside.
5. Look back on what you’ve just experienced. By giving attention on an object, on sensation, and then on sound, you’ve given yourself the chance not to focus unpleasant thoughts. With regular practice, you will get better at controlling your mind.
Try it everyday with different objects!
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