“In every discipline, the ability to be clear headed, present, cool under fire is much of what separates the best from the mediocre.” – Josh Waitzkin
Imagine two lines in parallel. One is time and its consistent trek forward. The other is our perception of the present moment. It varies in speed, lagging when we daydream of the past or speeding when we ponder about the future.
There is nothing inherently wrong with past or future thinking. But, life only exists in the present moment, so it logically makes sense to spend the majority of our finite existence in the now.
Luckily, we have a solution for this dilemma: mindfulness. Mindfulness, and its exercise, meditation, has proven benefits like improved sleep, better memory, heightened focus, reduced stress, greater self-awareness, and improved immune response, and in the athletic realm, word-class athletes, like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, harnessed its power to perform at new heights.
There is no universally accepted definition of mindfulness. It is an ever expansive practice with an ancient and growing body of knowledge. But at QHP, we define mindfulness as being fully present with the flow of life, and meditation as the exercise to help us achieve mindfulness.
Studies have shown happiness, or well-being, is directly correlated to our perception of the present moment. The less we mind wander, and instead engage with the now, the more life satisfaction increases. We believe this extends to peak performance. By grounding ourselves in the present and reducing overthinking, the more we allow flow to ensue.
A mindfulness based practice allows us to do this. Despite its complexity, meditation is composed of two types: interoception and exteroception. Interoceptive meditation places attention inwardly. We focus on the passing of thoughts, rise and fall of the breath, or the rhythm of our heart. Exteroception is based upon the senses. Our attention is directed externally where we observe sounds, tastes, sights, smells, or physical sensations. There are thousands of meditation techniques, but all can be classified as either an interoceptive or exteroceptive practice.
To begin a mindfulness practice, we don’t need to be a buddhist monk sitting cross-legged. Rather, we need to simply explore our interoceptive or exteroceptive state. If we consistently find ourselves “stuck in our head” or highly sensitive to physiological changes, we are interoceptive dominant and would benefit from an exteroceptive form of mindfulness like listening to music or observing birds in a park. Exteroceptive dominants are more attuned to external stimuli and less aware of internal physiology. For these, we suggest an interoceptive based practice like feeling our heart beat or observing the passing of thoughts. The key is to strike a balance between the internal and external.
If we are searching for a more structured practice, let’s follow the breath. The breath is the second QHP course for a reason; it is a powerful link between the conscious and unconscious and effectively roots us in the now. Start by noticing the rise and fall of the abdomen or feel the pace of our inhales and exhales.
Lastly, it is pertinent we start small. 1 to 2 minutes to begin is sufficient. Remember meditation is a focus exercise designed to bring us into the present moment. With any new skill, we will be clumsy at the start and focus will prove difficult. By starting small, we load the system with a force it can manage and effectively encourage the habit to be repeated. And let’s not forget habit stacking – meditation is the third thing I do upon waking with my other two cues being morning sunlight and a glass of water. Also, we should ideally meditate after waking or before bed. This subtle trick takes advantage of brain wave activity (alpha) which tends to mimic meditative states.
Mindfulness can be a difficult habit to start as the rewards are often unnoticeable until a couple months after initiation. But by starting small, we improve the likelihood of the habit being repeated and reap the benefits of improved focus, better health, and heightened performance.
