Purpose (Why): Have you ever driven somewhere and arrived at your destination only to realize you remember nothing about your journey? Most people have! This is common examples of “mindlessness,” or “going on auto pilot.” In our modern, busy lives, we constantly multi task. It’s easy to lose awareness of the present moment as we become lost in our efforts to juggle work, finances, and other conflicting demands. As humans we are often “not present” in our own lives. We often fail to notice the good things about our lives, fail to hear what our bodies are telling us, or harm ourselves with self-‐criticism. Human lives are easily distracted usually examining past events and trying to anticipate the future. Becoming more aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations may not sound like an obviously helpful thing to do, however learning to do this in a way that suspends judgment and self-‐criticism can have an incredibly positive impact on our lives. Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives. It will not eliminate life’s pressure, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our hearts, head and body. It helps us recognize and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.
Destination:
Documentation (How):
Best known for great eats, martial arts, and many temples, Thailand is also known for having the most meditation retreats in Asia, many are free of charge and only accept donations. I propose to travel through south Thailand visiting cities such as Bangkok, Kanchaburi and Phuket. My time in Thailand will consist of traveling through the cities, experiencing the culture and partaking in meditation retreats as I travel. Mindfulness retreats such as Dharana located in Phuket provide mindfulness training practices that help enhance focus, productivity and helps you become fully engaged in activities making it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur.
Join me on my journey through social media. I will post daily photos on Instagram as well as live feed using Periscope. Upon my return I will share a video of my trip that will include tips on how to practice mindfulness as well as share the many benefits of practicing simple but meaningful exercises.
Mindfulness meditation is unique in that it is not directed toward getting us to be different from how we already are. Instead, it helps us become aware of what is already true moment by moment. We could say that it teaches us how to be unconditionally present;; that is, it helps us be present with whatever is happening, no matter what it is.