Forced mindfulness
an oxymoron?
I have been forced over the last few weeks of being mindful of several things that I am usually not mindful about.
Here is my hypothesis on mindfulness - we are all mindful of the items that we want to or forced to be mindful about.
It started with simple tasks - like getting up from bed. It was a task that you don’t even think about, you just used to do, is a project now. And breaks up into several tasks - find the small pillow, push the pillow hard on your sternum with one hand to hold it in place, use the other hand to create a lever to your body, twist your body to bring the legs to your sides, drop your legs outside the bed frame to use the weight of the legs pull you up to sitting position and while using your other arm to buoyancy and push yourself. Sit up, while still holding the pillow, wiggle your butt forward to push your weight forward off your bed until both your feet touch the floor, then push your body forward to use the counterweight of the body to move your body upward to stand, hold your knee with one hand for counterbalance if required and to assist in standing up. Balance, breathe if you feel dizzy. Process the pain from the whole experience and think about what you would do differently next time to avoid the pain. Phew! That’s it. I knew this is what you were thinking, right? We were talking about the same thing.
When I started to look for a cover photo to writing today’s post - the most available were various poses of Buddha one which I used above or photos of half and some fully naked woman in various yoga poses. I guess that does not make “mindfulness”, not by a long shot.
Let’s review some more mindful things that I see now that I missed before:
The morning coffee used to be 12 ounces with cream, now with my restrictions on water intake I take a 4-ounce coffee which I enjoy in little sips and I get more sips from this small coffee than I got out from the big coffee that I used to drink. And as the coffee levels drop in the cup, my sips become smaller and smaller, and smaller.
A swirl of water in the mouth, as my water intake is restricted as my body loses excess retained water. Every mouthful is an enjoyable experience than bottles of water that did not cut my thirst before.
My half a slice of the breakfast sandwich is now 8 to ten bites. I used to eat a full double-layered sandwich in four bites. And I have learned to enjoy this half a piece of bread ten to twenty times more slowly than before in order to enjoy it and consume it slowly before it finishes.
I know that all this will not last. Things will change. Some behaviors and “mindfulness” will continue to stick. Others will be forgotten.
What did you think of my hypothesis?
What are the things that you are mindful of?
What are things that you would want to be more mindful of? and those less mindful of?
Can you be mindful of multiple things at the same time? How many things? Can you manage to give your spouse good unwavering attention while drinking coffee, enjoying it, and watching that “Blue Jay” fly outside the window?
Laters.