Guru Habit 4 - Mindfulness

Photo tai chi kindly provided by Ken Seghers under Creative Commons

I am reading The Leaders Guide to Radical Management, in here it talks extensively about the failure of management in today's organisation. As I read through the book I know what the problem is, there is no presence of mind, its just a machine churning.

What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness means having the full presence of mind in whatever you are engaged in. It means being present in the current moment, with all your mind, body and senses engaged, locked on like a lazer in whatever you are doing, giving full attention, relaxed, attentive to all aspects of the situation including doing the right thing.

Mindfulness is "dhrana" of Patanjali's eight-fold path of Yoga, which is the focus of the mind on the task at hand. There is a natural impulse of the mind to be distracted in anything one does, but its our role to bring it back to the present moment, and it starts with self awareness that the mind is wandering off.

Mindfulness is kind of like always keeping your hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road, you might take a stretch or look at the beautiful scenery while driving, but never take your focus off the road and what is happening.

Same with our lives. We are too accustomed to doing too many thing at once, when was the last time we were fully present, there is always a tendency to be anywhere but the present. Mindfulness is more than just a nice thing to do, its critical to having a meaningful existence and "living" instead of "existing".  It allows to be sensitive to the inner and external world, and act in the best possible manner most beneficial for our self growth and aligned with our own internal values.

It also implies thoughtfulness, considering the far reaching impacts of our actions.  It separates a vegan from a carnivore.  A vegan knows that meat causes suffering for animals, and the environment, and chooses not to engage in creating such a demand.  It can be as simple as turning off lights that are not used, or re-cycling instead of just throwing something in the garbage bin.  It is our Earth after all.

It also implies sensitivity, and ability to be in tune with what is happening in the current moment, so that appropriate fine tuning can be made.  It means knowing when to back off with your partner, or adjust your approach in a work situation.  Today I was in a "coffee break" with a Division Chief by passing all "chain of command" communication to get to the heart of an important change being implemented in the organisation, I was able to adjust myself accordingly leaving a positive impression, still able to voice my concerns, some turned out to be valid, others not.

It also implies acting with integrity. Acting in a mindless way will never give any satisfaction to anyone or any organisation.  It is dangerous and self-sabotaging, and not to say the obvious, mindless!  There is no human spirit in being mindfully absent, and it always shows.

How do I develop Mindfulness?

One can never stop the mind from ceasing activity. However it is possible to direct the mind to always give full attention to the current situation by having clear goals and purpose, whether it be with family, or in a work situation or in a Yoga Class or Meditation. Most meditation technique have a way to direct the mind into stillness. That requires mindfulness.  Set yourself Goals and Purpose so that you can keep yourself on track, for example "I will enjoy the richness of my family, by doing whatever they are engaged with."

Iyengar often used to show different yoga poses one with being mindfully present, the other not, and there was always a significant difference between the two. We can do it too, think about the first date, how totally attentive you were. You have engaged this habit automatically, although you did not realize it. So its not something we cannot do. It something we have to engage and practice.

Practice with small things, so that it becomes a habit. The more you practice it the more masterful you get at it. It is not something that can be intellectually acquired, it is realized through practice, and the benefits are many.

Yoga and Qi Gong is a great way to practice mindfulness in a controlled environment, also at the same time reaping much health benefits.  In Qi Gong, slow hand movements are done around the bodies energy fields, and the mind is on the the hand movements and actively engaged in some sort of visualization.  It is a like a lazer smoothing away irregularities in the subtle energy fields and breath.  Yoga and Qi Gong also take away the stress that is stored in our bodies due to daily work and restore the bodies health so that the mind is not affected by the weakness of the physical body.  One cannot be mindfully present in pain or a stressful environment without such aid.  Yoga & Qi Gong is meditation in motion.  Looking back if it wasn't for meditation, I don't know how I would have got through the challenges I had in the last 15 years.

It is worth mentioning that one needs to be able to regulate ones breathing sometimes to be able to fully engage the mind, body and spirit. By practicing some form of breathing technique, Pranayama or Qi Gong, one can control breathing to be more conducive to having a relaxed state of mind rather than an agitated one. Athletes, Actors, Singers, Dancers, Yogis & Martial Arts all use mindful awareness and direction of breathing patterns to achieve ones goal.

To finish, I would like to say that Mindfulness is very much a desirable Guru Habit, and it is within our reach to practice and internalize.  Recognize it, practice it in small situations every day especially in Yoga or Qi Gong, so that it becomes a habit, and reap the full benefits of a mindful presence.

Regards

Kirpal
If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. 
William Blake