Mindfulness

Mindfulness, like so many other things in life, often gets distorted into a commercialized or overly mystical idea—something reserved for monks, yogis, or people surrounded by incense and sound baths. It sets people up to fail before they even start. “Am I doing this right? Can I sit still for hours?” This is enough to give anyone a complex.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Because that’s not what mindfulness is. The truth of mindfulness is that it’s so much more accessible than you’d be led to believe. I know people would love to sell you products that they masquerade as the solution to your problems, but it’s a very pretty, very pricey lie.

What mindfulness isn’t #

So much of what you see doesn’t match reality. Everyone wants to sell you something.

What you see on magazine covers #

It isn’t what you see on magazine covers and articles. There’s not anyone who’s living their best life just meditating and being zen with crystal bowls everywhere.

There’s nothing wrong with meditation, sound healing, or a peaceful aesthetic, in fact it’s great to curate those things if they’re available to you. But you can do just fine with what you’ve got.

It goes wrong when you get twisted up trying to curate a perfect, Instagrammable version of calm. It’s not limited to sitting cross-legged on a cushion. Meditation is a tool, not the tool. Mindfulness doesn’t require any particular accessories or external conditions. If it did, people in war zones, stressful jobs, or grief wouldn’t have access to it—and yet, they do.

Having a peaceful, unbothered life #

If your goal is to never be disturbed, triggered, or upset, you’re setting yourself up for suffering. And you’ll make yourself suffer more by believing you can avoid it.

Life will challenge you. People will irritate you. Situations will push you outside your comfort zone. It’s because seeking only peace creates rigidity and brittleness—an inability to deal with the discomfort of reality. True mindfulness is about being present with whatever is, not just what feels good.

An escape #

I’ve alluded to this earlier, but we see purchasing things or experiences as keys to unlocking a better life. We see scrolling endlessly through our phones as a retreat to peace, but really it’s a numbing mechanism. Sometimes you have to be numb when the only alternative is to be attacked and in pain. But it can’t be the norm.

Avoiding the present by consuming more doesn’t work. It’s like eating more when you’re already full, you’ll only build discomfort for yourself. Being informed is one thing, but compulsive use is the opposite of presence—it traps you in cycles of anxiety and reaction rather than conscious awareness.

Mindfulness is #

The truth of mindfulness is way more boring and less marketable. But the benefits are still there, you can live a more present and fulfilling life by taking these into mind. They’re really about grounding, about connecting you to yourself and the world around you.

Walking #

Not just getting from point A to B, but really walking—feeling the weight of your feet on the ground, the air on your skin, the rhythm of your breath. Walking mindfully transforms a mundane act into a grounding practice.

Painting #

You don’t need to be an artist to paint mindfully. The act of mixing colors, feeling the brush move, and letting the process unfold without judgment is mindfulness in action. It’s about presence, not perfection.

Dancing #

Not performing, not worrying about how it looks—just moving with your body, feeling the music, letting movement emerge naturally. Dance is one of the most embodied forms of mindfulness because it forces you into the present moment. Overthinking kills it; feeling sustains it.

Singing #

Breathing deeply, using your voice, vibrating sound through your body—all of this brings you into the moment. You don’t have to be good at it. Mindfulness isn’t about being “good” at something; it’s about being with something.

A process of emptying and sitting with yourself #

Mindfulness isn’t about adding more—it’s about subtracting. Letting go of distractions, expectations, and noise. Sitting with yourself—not always comfortably, but honestly. Sometimes, what arises isn’t pleasant. But mindfulness teaches you to meet yourself where you are, without running away.

Mindfulness at its core is presence. No control, no perfection, no aesthetic—just being here, sitting with the mess.