An Invitation
Broadly speaking, mindfulness is all about awareness. While paying attention to the breath is the keystone of all mindfulness-based practices, the global COVID-19 outbreak recently put the spotlight on another very important exercise for me—a focused awareness of all the good things happening moment-to-moment for each of us. I believe one of the keys to weathering the storm of this pandemic is the cultivation and practice of gratitude.
Why is this so important now?
Because of a psychological phenomenon that is known as the negativity bias, the practice of gratitude is becoming more critical. This innate instinct for self-preservation has a profound impact on our mental health. In our current crisis, I have noticed that the volume has been turned way up on anger, fear, and frustration. Various forms of negativity dominate our news cycles, social media feeds, and workplace agendas. This global crisis impacts our family lives, religious worship, recreation and vacations. As a result, negativity is everywhere and really hurting us!
What is the negativity bias and why should it matter to me?
Simply put, it’s an instinctual human survival mechanism to detect and avoid danger. To begin with, I feel we should consider how our natural tendency to mentally imprint on what is negative is a great blessing for us—Most of humanity is here today because at one point in time an ancestor survived due to a natural, fine-tuned ability to detect and avoid danger, and this success ensured our very existence.
As human beings, we are programmed to see threats and circumvent them. While this natural predisposition is great for keeping us safe from real-life dangers, it’s not such a good thing for living in this stressed-out modern world. For me, the renowned psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson explained the negativity bias best when he stated the following:
“In effect, the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones. That shades “implicit memory” – your underlying expectations, beliefs, action strategies, and mood – in an increasingly negative direction.”
Right now, it can be challenging to see much good in our world. Shouldering an enormous load of negativity can make us very unhappy, sad, or even depressed. In fact, it is our highly refined ability to detect and avoid the dangers posed by this pandemic that could be causing us to be dissatisfied with life right now.
What’s the solution?
A routine, formal practice that recognizes all the good things we have in our lives will help us cope with any anger, fear, or frustration we may experience due to this wide-spread, far-reaching calamity. Dan Buettner’s groundbreaking research in The Blue Zones of Happiness details how some of the world's happiest and longest-lived communities have embedded cultural practices that encourage a ritual expression of gratitude.
How do you practice gratitude?
Drawing inspiration from Dab Buettner, the teachings of Wude, the work of Jon Kabat-Zin, and insights from many other sources, I have learned that a mindfulness-based practice of gratitude should include but not be limited to the following:
√ A quiet environment (Find a place and time where you are less likely to be disturbed)
√ A mindful posture (Sit cross-legged on a meditation cushion or mindfully in a chair, whichever posture you choose is fine but just make sure the crown of your head is held high, the shoulders are relaxed, and your spine is straight and tall)
√ Opening the practice with at least six relaxing breaths (Dr. Deepak Chopra recommends a series of six-count in breaths, two-count pauses, and four-count out breaths to settle down our frequently indiscernible physiological responses to stress)
√ A contemplation of the following good things in life:
- People and things that have recently made you happy
- Positive aspects of your health (Jon Kabat-Zinn once stated that if you are breathing there’s more going on that’s right with your health than wrong)
- Various aspects of your personal safety and that of loved ones (try to be as specific as possible)
- The specific ways in which you’ve experienced peace in your life
- Blessings of ease or prosperity that you have encountered (material blessings)
Some final thoughts!
In the beginning, my practice of gratitude was mechanical and limited in scope. With years of experience, counting my blessings has become more fluid, natural, and expansive. Gratitude is a practice that has allowed me to be 50% less irritable most days–I’ve actually observed a new tendency emerge to see the good before the bad. Use it anytime. Instead of repeatedly turning on a radio or personal electronic device and tuning into the news, try replacing it at least once a day with a mindful practice of gratitude.
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