Doing vs Being
We don’t always have to be busy. Entering a state of simply “being” can give us freedom from feeling stressed and suffering from worried overthinking. It’s a great practice to switch from feeling always pressed to do something, to focusing our energy on just being as we are now. We can explore the calm in just being, without doing, and allow that ease to support us in accepting our present situation.
Mindfulness Exercise: Not Doing
Rest may sound foreign when we have friends or family visiting, meals to prepare, business to attend to, or other aspects of life that make us feel busy and constantly involved in something; however, with meditation, we can reconnect to relaxation and ease in any moment.
One of the fundamental concepts of meditation is “not doing.” Even when we’re laying in bed at the end of the day, our mind is usually active, running through thoughts and ideas to no end. We’ve created a habit of always doing something —watching tv, messaging friends, scrolling social media, replaying events from the past, thinking about things in the future— so it may sound somewhat boring to practice “not doing.” Luckily, this practice is hardly boring. Because we are so accustomed to doing things, when we sit with the focused intention of “not doing,” it can be quite challenging, satisfying, and enlightening.
One of the fundamental concepts of meditation is “not doing.” Even when we’re laying in bed at the end of the day, our mind is usually active, running through thoughts and ideas to no end. We’ve created a habit of always doing something —watching tv, messaging friends, scrolling social media, replaying events from the past, thinking about things in the future— so it may sound somewhat boring to practice “not doing.” Luckily, this practice is hardly boring. Because we are so accustomed to doing things, when we sit with the focused intention of “not doing,” it can be quite challenging, satisfying, and enlightening.
To practice “not doing,” we don’t need to prepare in anyway.
We simply notice how we’re sitting, standing, or resting, and we gently close our eyes and stay in the same position for a few minutes. If thoughts enter our awareness, we allow them to come and go, knowing we can think and plan and process later, but for just a few moments right now, we are not doing anything.
Enjoy the sensation of “not doing,” as you give your mind and body a chance to relax, balance, and refresh. Feel the stillness of the present moment as your breath naturally becomes a little slower and deeper than normal. Whenever ready, open your eyes and reorient to the room you’re in.
You can extend the freedom, solidarity, and calmness you touch during this meditation into the rest of your day.
We simply notice how we’re sitting, standing, or resting, and we gently close our eyes and stay in the same position for a few minutes. If thoughts enter our awareness, we allow them to come and go, knowing we can think and plan and process later, but for just a few moments right now, we are not doing anything.
Enjoy the sensation of “not doing,” as you give your mind and body a chance to relax, balance, and refresh. Feel the stillness of the present moment as your breath naturally becomes a little slower and deeper than normal. Whenever ready, open your eyes and reorient to the room you’re in.
You can extend the freedom, solidarity, and calmness you touch during this meditation into the rest of your day.
Our experience may differ each time we try this exercise. Some days it may feel very relaxing, while other days we may feel a very strong urge to do something. It’s normal to feel an urge to think or focus on something to keep ourselves occupied, but even in noticing our urge to constantly “do,” we can gain more freedom from this compulsion and enjoy the freedom of “being” in the present moment.
Stop Thinking and Start Being
I’d like to share a great passage from one of my favorite books, You Are Here, by Thich Nhat Hanh.
"“Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” In light of the Buddha’s teaching, you might say, “I think, therefore I am... not here.” You are lost in your thinking, so you are really not here. For you to truly be here, thinking has to stop. As you are practicing mindfulness of the breath, the object of your attention is simply the breath. You stop thinking about the past, the future, your pain, your plans, and so forth, when you start to really be here, body and mind united.
When Nelson Mandela made his first visit to France, the press asked him what he would most like to do. He said, “Sit and do nothing. Ever since I got out of prison, I haven’t had time to just sit down and do nothing.”"
When Nelson Mandela made his first visit to France, the press asked him what he would most like to do. He said, “Sit and do nothing. Ever since I got out of prison, I haven’t had time to just sit down and do nothing.”"
Sitting on a cushion and doing nothing but breathing is something Nelson Mandela cannot do. You can do it for him. Be there with your breath. Use mindfulness of the breath to unite your body and mind. Establish yourself in the here and now so that you can touch life in a deep way, in this moment.
Joy and happiness become real through mindfulness of the breath.
Joy and happiness become real through mindfulness of the breath.
Conscious Breathing = Meditation
Our world needs people who can feel happy, joyous, and fulfilled by just being. Not doing, not striving, not waiting for the perfect time. Just being. When we stop doing and simply be in the present moment, we can access the understanding, compassion, and peace of mindfulness.
“One conscious breath in and out is a meditation.”
- Eckhart Tolle
- Eckhart Tolle