Observing only
If you take one deep breath, look inside and your battery instantly starts recharging — your mindfulness is in good hands.
It means you are not only familiarizing yourself with your emotions, thoughts, and body sensations — you also make use of the data. Make a lasting change, and prevent triggers from managing you.
It is demonstrated by one of the tangible results of your practice: you can center, and ground in equanimity effortlessly.
But if mindfulness is alone in your mind training toolbox — the more you look inside the more you find…
If you only watch
If you do nothing about your daily unwanted emotions and thoughts, only register their repetitions — mindfulness becomes a discouraging (and futile) hurdle.
Quick fixes (diversion, suppression) are also in the “doing nothing” category. 😉
To do cleanup
However, if you learn from your experiences, use the data of your emotional litmus — looking inside becomes a rewarding experience.
The first step in the emotional reframing cycle. If completed, these milestones deliver a “to do cleanup” and the new you.
5 milestones of compound change:
1. Am I mindful of my state of mind?
2. Do I notice an unwanted reaction?
3. Do I need to reframe root causes?
4. Did I complete the reframing?
5. Did the change integrate?