See More, Hear More, Feel More
The short IMAX promotional video played before 3D movies is a haiku-length summary of the Attentional Fitness approach to mindfulness I practice and share.
Shinzen Young, who taught me this approach, has been saying for decades that the development of basic attentional skills can lead to life being lived in higher definition.
Of course, IMAX can only enhance your awareness of the objective world by increasing the intensity, while Shinzen’s strategies also address awareness of the subjective world — as well as the interplay between the two — while strengthening the ability to remain open to the full range of intensity and subtlety.
It reminds me of the difference between watching marathon runners cross a finish line versus training to run one yourself.
According to Shinzen, “There are actually two reasons why people, in general, are out of touch with their subjective experiences: They have ‘low definition’ bodies and they are continuously fixated in thought, especially verbal thought.
Of course, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with thinking. Indeed complex thought is evolution’s wonderful gift to humankind, giving our species special powers that the others lack. Thought per se is not the problem. The problem is the driven and fixated way in which we think.
Fortunately, both low definition in the body and compulsive fixation in the mind can be remedied through systematic practice of mindfulness.”
Want to take your mindfulness practice beyond breath awareness and trying to be calm all the time?
Check out this month's practice schedule, my ten-part Insight Timer course, the clear guidance on the Brightmind app, and the many other resources I’ve compiled over the years. Or schedule a time to discuss working on this together.
