When observing unwholesome mind states or any aspect of your experience, simply be aware of their presence or absence without self-judgment, as mindfulness is about knowing, not criticizing or condemning yourself.
Bring awareness back into your body to counteract the common tendency of being ‘in our heads’ or rushing, which creates a feeling of being ahead of oneself, fostering a sense of being truly present.
When unwholesome thoughts or patterns arise, remind yourself ’this is nature’ to cut through self-judgment and personal stories, recognizing them as impersonal phenomena rather than personal failings.
When you notice your mind has wandered and you return to awareness, emphasize ‘awake again’ to reinforce wakefulness and counteract self-judgment about having been lost in thought.
Observe the pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feeling tone (Vedana) that arises with every experience, noting it without grasping at pleasantness, averting from unpleasantness, or spacing out during neutral tones, to avoid reconditioning unwholesome mind states.
Be mindful of when mind states like lust, anger, or delusion are present and when they are not, to understand which states cause suffering and which lead to greater happiness and freedom.
Understand that attachment to anything impermanent causes suffering; observe this truth for yourself to see how letting go brings a sense of ease.
In formal meditation, focus on feeling the breath coming in and going out; when the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath repeatedly to settle the mind and increase mindfulness continuity.
Engage in walking meditation by feeling the movement and sensations of each step from the inside, rather than observing from the outside; start at a normal pace, gradually slow down to feel subtleties, and experiment with different speeds and mental notes like ’each step’ or ’lift, move, place’ on a 10-20 step path.
Bring mindfulness to all ordinary activities like brushing teeth, opening doors, bending, or reaching; the challenge is remembering to do it, not the difficulty of the practice itself.
Use mindfulness to discern beneficial mind states that bring happiness and peace, cultivating them, while practicing letting go of or abandoning unwholesome states that cause suffering.
Intermittently ask yourself, ‘What’s the attitude in my mind right now?’ to train attention to the quality of your mind and reveal subtle underlying states like wanting, allowing the mind to relax.
The next time your mind is caught in a lustful fantasy (for anything), notice the moment it passes away and compare the quality of experience, recognizing the sense of openness and freedom in the release from grasping.
Intentionally watch for quickly passing, mundane thoughts throughout the day; observe how being lost in them is like a brief dream state, and returning to awareness is like waking up, providing a clear recognition of delusion versus wisdom.
Recognize moments when your mind is free of greed, hatred, and delusion, as these brief experiences offer a taste of what liberation and the end of suffering feel like.
Engage in formal mindfulness of the body practices repeatedly, as this makes it easier to maintain mindfulness throughout daily activities because the body is always present.
To alleviate anxiety or efforting during breath meditation, intermittently repeat ’there is a body’ to settle into awareness of the whole body posture, allowing the breath to occur naturally within this larger framework without narrowing focus.
Practice being aware of your current body posture—whether walking, sitting, lying down, or standing—to integrate mindfulness into all aspects of your daily life.
When pleasantness or unpleasantness is strong (e.g., pain or pleasure), intentionally explore the actual experience of that feeling tone, sensitizing yourself to what the Vedana refers to.
Actively notice when the mind is free of desire, anger, or delusion, as well as being mindful of positive mind states like love or generosity, to reinforce and strengthen them without attachment.
Learn about and recognize the seven factors of awakening (mindfulness, energy, investigation, rapture, calm, concentration, equanimity) in yourself, identifying which are stronger and which need more development, and cultivate them.
Use mindfulness to balance the seven factors of awakening, emphasizing tranquilizing factors (calm, concentration, equanimity) when there’s too much excitement, and arousing factors (investigation, energy, rapture) when there’s dullness.