This content originally appeared on Opera News and was authored by Patrick Curtin
Hey all,
Have you ever had to go an entire day in silence? To sit with yourself and your thoughts, to explore and become more intimate with your body and mind? To be in communion with others, but also alone with yourself?
That’s what I was asked to do last week at the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation’s Annual Gathering – a particularly significant edition because it marked 30 years of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). So with the opportunity to learn more about mindfulness from some of the field’s greatest luminaries, I set off for a charming English town outside of London called Marlow.
For a bit of background, I’ve come to mindfulness recently, and primarily via Opera Air. Many years ago I tried to get into meditation, but with no guide and few resources, I gave it up, overly concerned that I wasn’t “doing it right.” But thanks to our mindful browser I’ve been getting back into it and starting to see the benefits, so I was eager to learn more from people who have been conducting scientific research on mindfulness for decades.
And I did hear from them – folks like Zindel Segal, John Teasdale, and Mark Williams, among others – on the second day. But those keynotes and panel discussions (fascinating as they were) weren’t, in the end, what’s got me hooked on mindfulness. Rather, it was that silent day of practice, in which I was called upon to immerse myself in mindfulness as a praxis.
Jointly led by one of the founders of MBCT, Mark Williams, and his colleague Antonia Sumbundu, the session began with the ringing of a singing bowl. Antonia – a clinical psychologist, mindfulness practitioner, and Tibetan Buddhist for more than 30 years – invited us to bring our minds and bodies together in the here and now. We were asked to check in with ourselves. How were we feeling right in that moment? We were urged to consider our intention. What had brought us here today, to the Gathering? How had we experienced the journey?
And then, very subtly, Antonia – who, by the way, has the most calming and relaxing voice I may ever have heard – shifted from questions inviting mental reflection to questions inviting us to feel our bodies: our feet, as they sat on the floor; the parts of us that were touching the chair; our hands, and what they were coming into contact with; our breath. We were asked to anchor ourselves in these sensory experiences – to focus on them, so our minds could be swept clear like a beach after a storm. But if our minds wandered, that was okay! Like a little puppy, we just had to bring it back, without censure, without judgment. To ground it again in our hands, our breath, whichever anchor we preferred.
Overarchingly we were invited to become intimate with our minds: such intimacy creates understanding, and understanding fosters love.
An hour and half flew by before the singing bowl rang again. During that time the puppy of my mind had wandered here and there, of course. But it had also spent long stretches grounded in an awareness of the pads of my feet, the way my hands were intertwined with each other. For a person who has become increasingly concerned with his social media consumption and phone use, I didn’t think of either at all. I realized with delight that I had done it – I had meditated!
And wouldn’t you know it, I felt pretty great, too. I was happy to know that yes, you can do this too! You can slow down your mind, contentedly be in the present. You can come to understand – and love – the self in a whole different way, one that’s non-judgmental and kind. And you can get up from that state feeling refreshed, capable, confident as you go about the next phase of your day.
We won’t all have the good fortune to be somewhere like the Annual Gathering every day (or even every year), but there are tools that can help us slow down and be mindful. And amidst the hustle and bustle of an average day – during which I spend a considerable amount of time with my web browser – it’s difficult to conceive of a tool that’s as useful and immediate as Opera Air. Just while writing this blog post, I went from finishing a sentence to starting a morning meditation in 3 clicks. I didn’t change devices, open a new tab, or search for anything at all. And after 8 minutes, I not only felt more relaxed, but I had (what I thought was) a great idea for how to reorganize my blog post too.
It was a privilege for us to sponsor this year’s Annual Gathering. I feel my journey toward not just mindfulness, but self-acceptance and self-love, received a whole new shot in the arm. And in the aftermath, I’m left grateful anew for the free resources built right into Opera Air, which have helped bring a greater sense of balance to my life, both on- and offline.
So whether you’re a longstanding mindfulness practitioner or just starting out on your journey, there’s something here for you! In the world of our Boosts – which combine lo-fi musical tracks, ambient sounds, and binaural beats to create soundscapes designed to stimulate different states of mind – my personal favorites are Peak Concentration and Deep Relaxation. The former is often on rotation while I’m at work, while the latter helps me unwind after a long day. Opera Air comes with 19 preset Boosts, but each aspect of a Boost is fully customizable, so you can create something truly your own.
Within the Take a Break feature, I most often engage in Opera Air’s guided mediations (especially at the beginning and end of a day) and breathing exercises (usually in quick breaks between tasks or meetings). I also love the fact that the feature will literally remind you to take a break, as it can be all too easy to forget to stop, breathe, stretch, and refresh yourself.
See what works best for you! Download Opera Air and find out.
This content originally appeared on Opera News and was authored by Patrick Curtin