One of the most striking things about the life of Jesus is how mindful he was of his surroundings and the people in his life. Mindfulness is a way of life. It is a general approach to life in which you strive to be fully aware of your experience in the present moment – without judging it. Mindfulness is paying attention to the little things that most people tend to ignore.
Jesus and the Mindful Life
Mindfulness means that you refuse to go through life on autopilot, but rather commit to seeing every little thing that life has to offer you. Jesus lived a mindful life.
For instance, one day Jesus was walking through a village on his way to heal a little girl who was gravely ill. It was a life and death situation. Jesus was in a hurry. A woman who had been sick for many years touched the hem of his robe. She was just one person in a large crowd that was pressing in on him. Yet, he stopped and asked, “Who touched me?” Peter responded incredulously, “The crowds are all around – a lot of people are touching you.” Jesus said, “No. I felt power leaving my body – someone touched me and was healed.” Jesus was tuned in to his body and those around him.
On another occasion, Jesus was on his way out of town when a blind man called his name. Although Jesus was focused on getting to Jerusalem, he stopped and took time to heal the man. He was sensitive to the plight of those around him, especially those who were suffering.
There is no clearer example of Jesus’ focus on the moment than when he was dying on the cross, in excruciating pain, and he looked down and saw his mother. He immediately focused on her pain and his desire was to care for her. While he was being crucified he was thinking about providing for his mother!
Ways to Start Living a More Mindful Life
Jesus was always “seeing” others. He stopped what he was doing to help others. He didn’t go through life on autopilot. A Good way to start working on a more mindful way of living is to work on the things we tend to do on autopilot. Here are three good ways to start your (more) mindful life.
1. Pay attention to your feelings.
The night before his death, knowing what the next day held, Jesus told his disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). Jesus understood what he was feeling and he owned it.
Listen to the physical signals your body is sending you — heart rate, pulse, breathing patterns — that reveal what you are feeling. Take time to listen to your body and your mind. Reflect on what you’re feeling without judging.
2. Reflect on what you eat.
Jesus loved to eat with his friends. The fellowship meal was a symbol of the joy of his community. Eating is something we often do in a rush. Mealtime is typically a time to catch up with friends, or squeeze in another meeting, or spend time with family. There’s nothing wrong with those things, but eating tends to be something we do on autopilot while we are paying attention to other things.
Try taking at least one meal a day where you focus on the meal — the taste, texture, sound, and sensation of eating. Give thanks for each part of the meal, one at a time. Pause before each mouthful to thank God for his provision.
3. Breathe
Breath was considered the life force for human beings and was closely associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit (the word for Holy Spirit can also mean breath). Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto his disciples (John 20:22). Sometimes you just need to focus on your breathing.
A great practice is to take three minutes every few hours and perform some breathing exercises. Breathe slowly and deeply in through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Repeat this several times focusing on the sound of your breathing. Imagine taking in all of your stress as you breathe in, and then releasing it as you breathe out through your mouth. Feel the stress leaving your body. If you practice this regularly you will find that it works!
These are just small steps you can take to living a more mindful life! Good luck!
