Meditation & Yoga
Mindfulness Moment #1: Putting on your underwear
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One of the main tenets of the “here and now” crowd is mindfulness. No matter what you’re doing, make sure your brain is fully engaged in the here and now. Be in the moment.
Coach Steve Ilg often encourages his students to start their mindfulness practice with brushing their teeth. When brushing your teeth, just brush your teeth. It’s that simple and yet that difficult. Don’t think about your commute to work, Don’t think about the to-do list that awaits you there, or any of the other gazillion things you need to remember to have a “successful” day. Just brush your teeth.
So why should your attention be focused on the here and now?
For starters, I believe a shitload (yes, I’m using a scientific term of measurement here) of our stress is self-imposed from worrying about the future. We can’t control the future, so we fret about it to varying degrees. When our brains are off running around like hamsters on meth, we create stress. And what are we creating stress over? Abso-friggin-lutely nothing. The future is an illusion. It ain’t gonna happen until it happens and then when it does, guess what? You’re in the present moment.
Another perq of being in the moment is a developed sense of self awareness. All of sudden, we notice that our shoulders have rolled forward and our chests have collapsed. We’re slouching. This isn’t good for our spines or, in the long run, athletic performance.
We may notice, like I did, that we’re always using one side of our body to do the same repetitive tasks every day. I would always lead off with my left leg when walking off or onto a curb or set of stairs. Once I stopped thinking about my to-do list for the day and actually paid attention to what I was doing at that particular moment, I noticed I would subconsciously shuffle step so I would hit the curb or first stair with my left foot. Hmmmm…I wonder if there was a connection with that preference to lead with my left and the recurring calf injury in my left leg?
So you can start to see that training yourself to be in the present moment can lead to all sorts of wonderful revelations for multisport athletes and just about anyone else.
OK, by now you’re wondering where the underwear reference comes in. Here we go: The next time you put your underwear on, notice which leg goes through the hole first. Is it your right or your left?
With me, it’s my left leg (big surprise, eh?).
Now, peel off those skivvies and try and do it with your right leg (or whatever your opposite leg is).
Whoah. That felt kind of awkward didn’t it?
Just think of how many things you do each day while on automatic pilot. How many of those tasks are slowly leading you toward a chronic imbalance in your body?
Maybe tomorrow morning you can start with being a bit more mindful while putting on your bunders.
Find your edge and dance upon it.
hak
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I agree that living in the moment is sometimes difficult and important. Running the opposite direction than usual, driving a different way to work, getting out of your normal routine is a good way to “be in the moment.” When it comes to endurance sports however, I’m not so sure I want to feel EVERY moment. Yes, I want to be “present” in my upcoming IM and take in the event, but there will be times that I will want to focus on other things besides the present pain. Besides, on that day I won’t be wearing any undies ;)
Andrea,
The focus you’re talking about comes later. I view the concept of being in the present moment as a precursor to the more difficult challenge of focused concentration. For example, when you’re hurting out on the race course and life just seems to suck, it’s that ability to concentrate on the moment…or perhaps more accurately, the components of that moment…your breath, the rhythm of your feet on the ground, etc. that can take you away from that suck.
From my own experience, it’s when you’re in the suck and starting thinking about the future is when you want to quit. “Man, if it sucks this bad now, I don’t think I can make another five miles of this.”
Well, I’m making it now so I’ll just keep plugging along.
hak
Great post. I will definitely com back to it. And I agree. When I’m , as you say, “in that suck”…esp when running, I concentrate on my breathing and the pain is still there but manageable.
I am trying to practice mindful eating and mindfullness overall, esp of my actions and thought in the present, is a good thing. I should be doing more of it. Thanks for the reminder, John.