Mindful vs. Mindless

Moved To Meditate Podcast

Is it better to be mindless, rather than mindful, in some situations? Well, that would depend on what you mean by mindful vs. mindless – and apparently, we’re not all talking about the same thing!

In this podcast episode, we will look at these terms - mindful vs. mindless - and how they might apply to movement practice.

I recently came across an article in Scientific American entitled "Sometimes Mindlessness is Better than Mindfulness" by Alexander Burgoyne. That statement definitely got my attention, but I soon realized that the author was using the terms “mindful” and “mindless” very differently than the way I would use them as a longterm practitioner of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation.

The author's point was how easy it is to get in your own head when you over-focus on a task that doesn't require your constant micromanagement. One example was a golfer who has mastered their swing, and thus performs better when they don't put all of their attention on the mechanical details of that movement.

But is it useful to label that over-thinking mode as "mindfulness," and to suggest that the solution is to be more mindless?

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• how mastery of a task (automaticity) is not the same as doing it mindlessly
• how mindfulness involves paying attention, but it's not really "thinking about" what you're doing or feeling self-conscious
• qualities that are essential to mindfulness, like curiosity, non-judgment, and non-attachment to the outcome
• the "choiceless awareness" or "open monitoring" style of mindfulness practice, which goes beyond focusing on a single activity

I will also give some examples of what I think mindless movement actually looks like: planning your grocery list during Tai Chi, competing with the person on the next yoga mat, or pushing past what you're actually feeling in your body because of your expectations.

True mindfulness practice is not at odds with the value of automaticity or mastery of a skill. In fact, we teach and learn mindfulness through simple, repetitive, and easy-to-learn movements precisely because that allows us to let go of the mechanics and "drop in." If you've ever felt really present while doing a familiar yoga sequence or Qigong flow, you know what I mean - the simplicity makes it possible for the mind to get quiet and receptive.

So, join me for this exploration of what it means to be mindful or mindless!

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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.

And, you can sign up for your "Library Card" to access this month's FREE practices in the Moved To Meditate Class Library!

Feel free to reach out through my website with questions or your thoughts on this episode. Or connect with me on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitty, Mustache).