Three years ago, I was going through a rough semester and my boyfriend's mother gave me a book called
Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a stress reduction and mindfulness expert. Prior to this point, I'd thought of meditation as an abstract, somewhat wishy-washy concept. My grandfather would sit, seemingly unresponsive, for hours a day, meditating, and I neither had the time nor desire to pursue that. However, Kabat-Zinn is great at approaching the practice in a pragmatic, matter-of-fact tone that will appeal to anyone who doesn't have patience for mysticism, which mindfulness definitely isn't despite what many may think.
![Wherever You Go There You Are and Full Catastrophe Living](http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/lifeatuoft/files/2017/03/17273245_10208598518708414_1968375838_o.jpg)
From what I understand, practicing mindfulness simply means going through the day's activities with a sense of purpose and awareness of the present moment. This awareness can include tuning in to the sounds, smells, and sights around us; focusing our thoughts on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future; and slowing down to consider each step of our actions instead of just brainlessly going through the motions of the day.
For those who see the world through a
Harry Potter lens as I do, I like to compare this process to how Harry practices clearing his mind before bed each night when he's taking Occlumency lessons in
Order of the Phoenix.
The main point I took away from reading Jon Kabat-Zinn is that mindfulness can happen anywhere, in any activity, for as long as we want. We can eat mindfully, sit on the subway mindfully, or walk to class mindfully. I bought an audiobook of
Full Catastrophe Living, also by Jon Kabat-Zinn, that includes guided meditations and deep breathing exercises that I listen to when commuting or winding down before bed. Five minute (or even one minute) guided meditations are also available for free all over the internet.
![Board with instructions for "Chocolate Meditation" (eating slowly and taking the time to savour)](http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/lifeatuoft/files/2017/03/14646553_10207316467937946_2006189706_o.jpg)
The other important point to note is that there's no wrong way to practice mindfulness. One of my friends finds meditating in quiet spaces very uncomfortable. I took part in a free eight week mindfulness series offered through Planned Parenthood and just fell asleep every single class. Typically, I still don't get anywhere without a guide either. However, I'd definitely encourage not giving up on the concept altogether without experimenting with different settings and methods first.
At U of T,
free mindfulness drop-ins are available weekly, held at the Multi-Faith Centre, the Athletic Centre, Hart House, and various colleges and faculties. A new series at
Victoria College just started running on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Though I haven't used one before, I know apps, such as Headspace, exist to help with this practice as well. When I was in counselling, my counsellor recommended recording a guide yourself, or getting a loved one to do so, if that would make you more comfortable than listening to a stranger's voice. In any case, there are many options to play around with so you can make mindfulness fit your life in whatever way works best.
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