Thoughts on Meditating

Two things:

1. I think I figured out how to win The Game (sorry)

2. Meditating in daily life

The Game, for those of you unawares, is one of those things that kids from all over America learned about somehow. The idea is that there's this Game. The point of The Game is to not think about The Game. So, for most of your life, you're winning, but when you remember it, you lose. Losing isn't a one-time thing. You just kind of keep losing until your mind focuses on something else. 

So, about winning this thing. One of the important concepts in Buddhism is mindfulness. From what I understand, this has to deal with where you choose to place your attention and how you treat stray thoughts. If you live in the moment, then you are able to deliberately focus your attention on whatever you wish, and distracting thoughts come and go without the slightest consideration. I think this.. mode of existence is gaining traction in neuropsychology under the name Flow, and there are some really interesting studies on it if you do some light digging. 

So if you are able to live and think this way, if the thought of The Game comes to mind, it disappears as quickly as it appeared, and you win for as long as you can maintain that state of mind. If that isn't a good reason to meditate, I don't know what is! ;)

Next, I want to write about times when I experience a calm sense of flow or mindfulness. I think this sort of stuff happens when doing things that require some coordination and deliberate behavior, but are so simple or instinctive that you don't really have to think about it. 

This could happen in sports (high-speed, high-focus stuff like racing), or in comfortably familiar tasks like taking a shower, or for me, washing dishes or folding laundry. I enjoy doing those things because they allow me to taste this state of mindfulness that I hope to achieve in everyday life. Being wholly in the present, feeling and sensing everything, and letting it go in an instant. Time goes on like it always does, but it's not tugging you along with it. I'd love to be able to switch that state of mind on or off. Nothing worthwhile comes easy..!