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Mindfulness is a Victorian translation of the Pali word, sati. More accurately, sati means remembering. Pali is the original language of the ancient Buddhist texts that teach us what’s now known as mindfulness meditation. “A Wandering Mind Is An Unhappy Mind” — Killingsworth et al. (2010) Science. This landmark study found that, regardless of the activity, people are generally happier when present. With mindfulness meditation, we’re not looking for anything new or different, like peace or happiness. Nor are we controlling the mind or removing anger, sadness, or fear. We’re practicing sati — remembering our innate purity, re-membering our bodies — by noticing and allowing things as they are, even when they feel unpleasant, an inherent part of life. This gives uncomfortable sensations space to release, bypassing otherwise subconscious attempts to find relief through unskillful reaction. By resting the attention on the breath and kindly returning to it each time the mind naturally gets distracted, compassion builds from the inside, out. This leads to acceptance and equanimity that gradually extend from ourselves and the beings that bring us smiles to include those we find most difficult. Our awareness slowly expands to illuminate what was once too difficult to see. Previously subconscious grasping and aversion soften, and the body-heart-mind orients away from suffering and towards peace and connection. With clear seeing, unpleasant cycles lose their grip, and we remember how to lead from the heart. We learn to relax into the ever-changing present moment and develop the wisdom to know when, and how, to respond skillfully, using the mind to gently guide attention. We wake up to the many joys that already surround us, generating lasting contentment. In the words of psychologist Carl Rogers, “the curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
