Mind–Body Practices in Everyday Life

The practices I teach are not intended to be something that exists separately from ordinary life.

The real test is what happens after the practice.

Can you pause before reacting?

Can you notice when you are becoming tense?

Can you pay attention to the person you are talking to rather than rehearsing what you are going to say?

Can you recognise when your mind has wandered into yesterday or tomorrow and bring it back to what is actually happening now?

Can you take a few slower breaths before responding to something irritating?

Can you walk, stretch, move or rest in a way that helps you reconnect with yourself?

These are all forms of mind–body practice. Meditation, visualisation, breathing, Yoga, Tai Chi… these are just some of them. Possibly the simplest and most effective is mindfulness. You can do it anytime, anywhere, and it takes practice and a little discipline, rather than months or years of training.

Mindfulness doesn’t require us to withdraw from life. In many ways, it is about becoming more present in the life we already have.

A practical rather than a mystical approach

There is a great deal of enthusiasm surrounding mindfulness and related practices, and some of it is justified. There is also a tendency to make extravagant claims about what they can achieve.

I prefer a more modest approach.

These practices are not magic cures. They don’t remove the difficulties of life, and they aren’t substitutes for appropriate medical or psychological treatment when that is needed.

What they can do is give us additional ways of responding.

They can help us notice what is happening, settle ourselves when appropriate, develop greater awareness of our habits, and create a little more choice in how we respond.

And that is quite a lot.