The Healing Circle Book Chapter Blog Chapter 10 – Settling the Mind

Read Chapter Ten:  Settling the Mind

Watch the Video:  The Power of Mindfulness (module 3)

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Blog by Dr. Timothy Walker

What Happens When We Pay Attention?

Growing up, my family had a dog named Buttercup, a golden lab and collie mix. I loved Buttercup and always felt that she was there for me when I needed her, to comfort me when I felt blue. Later in life when my kids were growing up and moving out we decided to rescue a cat from the shelter, as cats are a little easier to take care of than dogs. Never having a cat before I wasn’t sure that I could love a cat in the same way that I had always naturally loved dogs.  My son and his girlfriend picked out a little female tabby and named her Cleopatra. She was a bit frightened of men’s feet and would often run under the table when I simply walked in the room. Yet when I was seated she was very affectionate, rubbing her cheek against my hand. Paying attention, I noticed over time that the more I paid attention to her, stroked her, rubbed her soft fur, massaged her, fed her and noticed her beautiful eyes, her feline demeanor and cute little ways, I began to appreciate her tremendously and I began to love her. I realized paying attention leads to appreciation, which leads to love.

 Dr. Richard Davison at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds has done intensive research for many years into how the brain changes through meditation, the practice of mindfulness and through the practice of what I like to call Heartfulness (the practice of deliberately extending loving-kindness). With the current technology of functional MRI brain imaging he has observed a significant expansion and development in parts of the brain that relate to higher executive functions, good judgment, emotional intelligence and empathy in those who have practiced meditation for many years. Our brains actually change when we practice mindfulness and loving-kindness. This is what he calls self-directed neuro-plasticity.

 Paying attention deliberately in the present moment with an attitude of acceptance, non-judgment and open curiosity is the practice of mindfulness. We can practice formally in meditation; sitting, lying down, walking or standing and we can practice throughout all the activities of daily life. While listening to those around us, we can notice if our own agenda, ideas or random stray thoughts are distracting us from listening deeply with empathy and understanding. We can practice being fully present and alert to our senses while waiting in line at the bank or airport, while eating, while taking a shower, while petting our dog or when we wake in the middle of the night with worries, fears and racing thoughts.

 While practicing mindfulness we begin to notice where our attention goes. Do we preoccupy our mind with all of our worries, projecting negative scenarios and jumping to conclusions regarding our next diagnostic test result? Or do we observe the tendency to project possible futures and gently let go of these thought forms knowing that ultimately we can’t predict the future and that there is no point in scaring ourselves with our own elaborate thought patterns and horror stories.

 Gradually paying attention expands the pathways of learning. We begin to learn more from our environment, more from others and importantly we learn more about ourselves. Mindfulness leads to awareness and insight into how our mind works and how we can optimize our own unique intelligence. More than one hundred years ago Henry David Thoreau wrote “As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we want to dominate our lives.” Once mindfulness practice helps us to see some of the problematic thought patterns that can dominate our lives and helps us in letting these go we can also use our practice of mindfulness and loving kindness to cultivate compassion for ourselves and others, to cultivate healthy habits that lead to wellness, like regular exercise, healthy eating, loving relationships, and self healing practices and healing intentions.

Practicing mindfulness gradually increases our confidence in deep forms of innate human intelligence. We can begin to trust that this deep form of intelligence can respond to current situations with clarity, insight and compassion based on accurate awareness of current conditions. This is why I like to say practicing mindfulness is the one thing you can do that has the power to change everything.

 One thing that happens when we pay attention is that we get better at paying attention to how our heart is an open pathway naturally loving to all creatures great and small, including ourselves.

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Timothy Walker Ph.D. is a mindfulness teacher and psychotherapist  living in Halifax Nova Scotia with over 30 years experience integrating mindfulness into counselling, education and healthcare. He is co-author of the The Healing Circle: integrating science, wisdom and compassion in reclaiming wholeness on the cancer journey and co-founded with Dr Rob Rutledge the Healing and Cancer Foundation. He designed and has taught with Dr. Rutledge the Skills for Healing Weekend Retreats for people living with cancer and their family members 42 times since 1999 in 20 cities across North America touching the lives of more than 1600 people. He has taught at Dalhousie University, Acadia University, and Mount St. Vincent University as well as hundreds of workshops, seminars and retreats Internationally. In his private practice, The Healing Circle, Timothy sees individuals, couples and families and welcomes distant consultations.