A remarkable story was published in the Washington Post that was written by Gene Weingarten entitled, “Pearls Before Breakfast.” The gist of the article is this: One of the finest classical musicians in the world, Joshua Bell, plays his violin (which by the way is worth 3.5 million dollars) in the DC subway to commuters on their way to work, and hardly anyone notices. He plays some of the most difficult and beautiful pieces that can be played by a solo violinist, and earns about $32 in tips. Two days before his performance in the subway, Joshua Bell had sold out Symphony Hall in Boston where the average seat price was $100. If you’d like to read the whole article and see some video footage of the experiment, you can do so by clicking here.
What are We Missing?
Most of us go about our scheduled day and don’t take the time to connect to what is happening around us because we are too busy thinking about the past or the future. We are literally lost in our thoughts, and the consequence of this is that we miss what is actually happening. We miss the Joshua Bell experience.
Addicted to Thinking
We are addicted to thinking. We have learned that thinking is the way we are going to solve all of life’s problems- everything from how we feel about ourselves to our financial situation to how to deal with our child’s problematic behavior. And it isn’t that there is anything wrong with thinking per say- however – we don’t use our minds. Our minds use us. Our minds produce thought after thought after thought and there is seemingly nothing we can do to stop it. Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth explains it like this:
“Your mind is an instrument, a tool. It is there to be used for a specific task, and when the task is completed, you lay it down. As it is, I would say about 80 to 90 percent of most people’s thinking is not only repetitive and useless, but because of its dysfunctional and often negative nature, much of it is also harmful. Observe your mind and you will find this to be true. It causes a serious leakage of vital energy.”
Recovery Through Mindfulness
If we want to be available for the experiences of our lives, we have to pay attention to more than our thinking. We need to train the mind to pay attention to what is happening in the present moment. This is called mindfulness. According to The February 2004 issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch “We are seeing more and more evidence that mindfulness can increase life enjoyment, improve the ability to cope with illness, and improve physical and emotional health.” Mindfulness means paying attention to what you are experiencing in your senses. What is happening in your sense of sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste? What sensations are present in your body? Don’t think about it- experience it.
If I Don’t Think I Won’t Solve my Problems
Most of us have learned some version of this. Thinking is one way that we can come up with solutions to our problems. However, often when a challenging situation arises, we don’t use our minds in productive way to move toward a solution. We worry. We obsess. We think negatively about ourselves and others. This kind of thinking is not helpful.
The World Outside our Minds
Jordan was depressed. Some days he had trouble getting out of bed. During one of our sessions he was feeling particularly down, and I suggested we spend some time with the horses. It was a beautiful day. Sunny with a cool breeze, birds singing their spring songs, bunnies hopping by, and the horses available for interaction. Jordan, however, did not see or hear any of this. He only heard his thoughts, “I’m depressed. Life sucks. I’ll never feel better.” I suggested he try practicing mindfulness, and put his attention on what was happening in his environment, rather than on his thinking. After a few minutes, Jordan’s posture started to change and he stood up straighter. I watched him become aware of his surroundings- the sunlight, the birds, the horses. He was taking it all in. Hermano (for more information on Hermano click here) approached Jordan. He nuzzled his arm. “What are you noticing from practicing mindfulness?” I asked. “That there is a whole world going on outside my mind.” He replied.
Applying Mindfulness
There are some simple ways to incorporate mindfulness into your life. If you have a short period of time to set aside each day to observe your breathing and environment, this can be helpful. And/or, you can incorporate mindfulness practice into your everyday activities. A few ways you can do this are:
* Set your watch alarm to remind you every few hours to stop what you are doing notice what is happening around you.
* Practice mindfulness when getting the mail. Feel your feet on the ground as you walk, feel the motion of your legs, notice your breath and what is happening in your neighborhood.
* Pay attention to 3-5 breaths after each email you send.
* Each time you hang up the phone, take a moment to look around and notice your environment. Feel your body, and notice sensations in your chest, shoulders and stomach. Feel the contact of your body with the chair you are sitting in.
Each time we come back to the present moment, we interrupt our stream of thinking, and come back to our direct experience. This practice helps us be present for our lives, instead of lost in thought, and helps insure that we will not miss the Joshua Bell experiences that present themselves to us.
_______________________________________________________________________