The concept of ‘mindfulness’ is originally a spiritual and psychological technique that was advocated by the Buddha. According to his teachings, it was one of the key components to achieving enlightenment. It is, in essence, the ability to see the reality of things while detaching yourself from your emotions. This neutral-mindset is said to allow an individual to clear the mind while attaining incredible focus, observational powers and, most crucially, to ‘be in the moment’. It is said, that mindfulness supports analysis and learning which results in wisdom.
“He played out of his skin tonight.”
“She was totally in the zone.”
We’ve all heard these juicy descriptions in the aftermath of some great feat of sporting endeavour. But what do they actually mean? (except for “That was totally awesome!”)
I think that they are all ways of describing the state of being ‘in flow’ – that Zen-like calm that defines an individual when they are effortlessly performing at the peak of their powers…
A stand-up comedian with an audience in stitches.
A songwriter penning a masterpiece in fifteen minutes.
A mathematician solving a series of hitherto uncrackable equations with mind-fudging speed.
A mother restoring calm to her screeching brood with just the right dose of ‘mummy knows best’ where others would’ve crumbled under the pressure .
…different scenarios where the same Yoda-esque mindset is in rampantly dazzling effect.
We all know the frustration of not being able to perform a task as we would like or even worse as we know we are capable of. The blood can quickly boil and toys can be thrown out of the pram. But where do these reactions get us? In truth, about a bazillion miles away from where we would like as the mind becomes disconnected from the body, instead becoming immersed in the emotion of anger.
A different approach is required. A re-training of the mind…
“..true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity..”
I do like this quote from X-Men First Class (Nerd? Moi? Never!) but in truth, while I believe that it’s incredibly useful to get ‘fired up’ in some competitive situations, I think that the processes of learning and performing are best propagated in the fertile compost of serenity (never buy the economy stuff though – it sucks). So next time you attempt that annoyingly twisty Turkish-get-up or your infamously shank-tastic drive of the tee, try this simple and deliciously effective technique that I call ‘Mindfulness during Movement’…
Before you begin, remove all emotional attachment from the result. Tell yourself that your ability to perform the task is not what you’re testing. Instead it is your ability to perform this new process.
Calm your mind. If you normally have iPod buds blaring your fav tracks into your cranium, I suggest that you ditch them while you are getting to grips with this. No exterior distractions.
Visualise the movement – whether that be recalling your trainer’s adroit demonstration of the kettlebell clean and press or Roger Federer creaming his classical one-handed backhand down the line – then visualise YOURSELF doing it in that exact same fashion.
Now comes the really tricky bit – TRUST your body to do it.
Don’t micro-manage it.
Instead, give it credit for being the example of god-like genius that it is – after all, your body performs all kinds of astonishing tasks without you giving it constant orders and criticism.
Just let it have a go.
Let it learn.
Now, while maintaining your equilibrium, MOVE.
This is when you need to observe what IS instead of what you would like there to be. By freeing your brain-box from all that neurotic-overload you will create the capacity to SEE and FEEL what is ACTUALLY happening.
You’ll be amazed by how many previously unnoticed little details you’ll start to become aware of…
Your breathing.
Your foot positioning.
How you distribute your weight.
What you’re doing with your shoulders, hips and knees.
The subtleties of your grip.
Any sensations of pain, discomfort and restriction.
Where and to what extent you feel your muscles working.
The myriad of angles you create with your limbs and torso.
Your rhythm.
That funky-chicken thing you do with your arms. (We’ve all seen it but didn’t want to embarrass you by saying anything)
…just ALLOW your body to move and continue to OBSERVE dispassionately. If it cocks-up (which it will from time to time – it’s only human after all) your serene mind will see what’s going on and make the necessary adjustments next time you try. And if not that time, the next time. And if not that time, the time after that and so on. Just don’t get frustrated – there’s no rush Beavis!
With each attempt, repeat all of the above steps – calming the mind, visualisation, observation, adjustment. Before you know it, you’ll be rocking it like a pro.
Post-workout, your new found ability to tune-in to your body will draw your attention to what’s going on during your recovery. How quickly you return to ‘normal’ and all the various sensations associated with the process. You’ll start to learn what works best to support your recovery and what areas you may need to work on.
Movement is an instantly available way of testing the power of ‘mindfulness’ – a transferable skill which can be applied to all aspects of life..
Brilliant movement is wise movement.