Mindfulness and Holistic Consciousness

The Connection Between Mindfulness and Holistic Consciousness.

 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an increasingly used technique for awareness as well as focus.  The goal is to be totally aware of what is going on within you and around you.  This involves not being distracted by thoughts having nothing to do with the present moment; such as missing the turn you wanted to make while traveling down a street or road because you are thinking about what you want to say once you arrive at your destination.  Any sort of distraction deprives you from taking in all in the “present.”  People miss much because of distractions.  I had a professor who taught an early morning, very technical class.  He repeated what was really important three times.  I was amused, but realized that my listening was at a functionally low level as I was groggy at an early morning class after late night studying.  He would get my attention when I heard a word pattern repeated. The third time he repeated it, I wrote it in my class notes.  Sure enough, what he had repeated 3 times was on tests.  When teaching at the college level I I used the same technique.  There were some students who were attentively listening to my lecture who noted down a piece of information I said was important.  There were those who wrote the information when I repeated, “This is important”…. There were those who did not note down what I said until the third time I repeated it. Alas, there were a few whose minds were elsewhere, and did not take note the information.  Needless to say, they were then looking blankly at test questions. Mindfulness is actively listening, seeing, perceiving with as minimum filters (don’t start judging before you have all the information — unless your personal safety is at risk) as possible, what is occurring in the present.  A lovely example is while walking smelling the scent of a rose, stopping, and visually taking in the beauty as well.

When distractions and stress are lessened as much as possible, there is much better focus.  Walking into a room and realizing you have forgotten what it was you needed from the room is an example of a distraction or a level of fatigue that is preventing you from staying focused. People make mistakes because they have let distractions interrupt their focus. Fatigue, in itself, from any circumstance definitely can reduce focusing and cause mistakes. Driving a vehicle is one of the most common situations where lack of focus can be very dangerous to yourself and others.

Being mindful, that is being totally present in what and where you are, means being aware of the noise, mental intrusions, etc,. and releasing those that do not pertain to your focus.  In the example of smelling the rose, you may be walking to a meeting, take in the fragrance, are aware that you have the time to stop, and choose to do so.  At other times, you may take in the fragrance, realize you do not have time, make a note to come back, and stay focused to get to the meeting on time.

Distractions can be from thinking about the past or future instead of focusing on the present.  Set aside times for processing your past actions, attitudes, etc.  Set aside times to assess decisions about your future.  Then you can properly focus on these.  As regards fatigue, maintaining an appropriate level of sleep patterns is crucial.  Reducing stress by providing yourself time to deal with immediate decisions, past behaviors, and decisions about your future actions, can lessen fatigue from these “inundating” or overwhelming your present moment.  We cannot deal with the past, present, and future at the same time. The mental and emotional fatigue is too great. The greater the stresses, the more time is needed to have alone time to process and sort,  Making lists of what you need to deal with so that you can release them from your mind can be helpful for the present, and allow you to process past and future, especially the immediate future of “what is my plan for today.”

Mindfulness is when you are know where you are each moment, what you are supposed to be doing in that moment, focusing your attention on what you need to do; and, sustaining this through a situation.  Taking breaks to relax your mind and quiet any disturbing thoughts helps you maintain mindfulness.  When you can count an inhale and exhale cycle to 10 times; and do this five times in a row without being distracted you have brought yourself into mindfulness.  You will be aware of thoughts trying to distract you from your breathing count, but can release them and not lose count.

Holistic Consciousness

Mindfulness can be enhanced when there is also holistic consciousness.  There is awareness beyond what your eye, ear, etc senses, as well as conscious thoughts, are providing you.  There is a deeper level awareness. Being mindful, but within an ego consciousness, means that what we are mindful of is often used to “our own advantage.” People in desperate situations often will take, control, harm — basically whatever they need to do to survive.

So a basic tenet of holistic consciousness is that most often  (there are individuals who maintain holistic consciousness even in dire circumstances, which can be especially seen in generations born since 2000) people have to have a basic quality of life to be freed to develop holistic consciousness.

Holistic consciousness includes and integrates our ego consciousness, but goes beyond that to interrelationship perspectives, intuitive knowledge that inspires creativity and greater problem solving capabilities, as well as valuing collaborative approaches.   There is an awareness of the oneness of all, the interrelationship of all, and the value of openness.

There is an entirely different “education” to achieve holistic consciousness if a person is not born with it.  So, the following presentation on holistic consciousness, which can utilize mindfulness to a much greater degree, may seem difficult to comprehend.  If so, slowly work through each section.

And, begin with the knowledge that mindfulness may have served ego consciousness most, because cultures have not nurtured or placed value on holistic consciousness.  There have always been those who have taught, wrote, and voiced the crucial need of holistic consciousness.  Now, as humanity faces catastrophic situations, and generations of young people are innately viewing the world with more of a holistic consciousness, we may finally see the emergence of human’s greatest intelligence as holistic consciousness integrates but goes beyond ego (self-centered) consciousness.

Please click here for learning about holistic consciousness and how it is developed.  Whether it seems very foreign, or there is a sense of recognition, you are provided with a comprehensive presentation of it.