Buddha and Lofi Music

When people think of mindfulness they often can think that they have to sit cross-legged with eyes shut while sitting on a mountaintop aiming to quiet their mind; and this is not necessarily what it means to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice of purposefully focusing the mind on the present moment, without judgment and without attachment to the moment.

This could be done with eyes shut, with eyes open, done while sitting down crossed-legged, or in a chair, or laying down, or even moving around. We could practice mindfulness in many ways while observing, describing our experience in the now, and even by participating in life.

One practice I like to share is mindfully listening to music. I particularly like listening to Lofi instrumental music. An example I found was one off of YouTube:

Check it out and see what you think of this playlist. Remember: mindfully focus your attention to the present moment while listening. What emotions come up? What body sensations do you feel? What thoughts or images run through your mind? These noticings that come up are all part of a mindful practice.

So yes, you could be like the Buddha on a mountaintop, and you could also pop in some headphones and listen to some mellow music. Each practice holds a different experience and each moment may call for a different practice. Explore many mindfulness practices, for it is worth building the repertoire for when you need it.

Best,