Why your Mind still Wanders in Mindfulness?
This is not a surprise at all that many people has a common understanding that the Mind doesn’t wander in Mindfulness. Is it really that the Mind is absolutely very still in Mindfulness? Why your Mind still wanders in Mindfulness? Is it normal? All these questions are very common in Mindfulness, most appears in the Mind while in initial stage of cultivating or training the Mind.
Let’s dive into Mindfulness at a glance first to have a clear understanding of what does it mean.
Mindfulness is the ability of the Mind to bring Awareness to Live in the Present Moment without any Judgement.
Based on clear understanding of Mindfulness, let go further to find out why your Mind still wanders in Mindfulness.
It is not like that your Mind will be absolutely remain still in Mindfulness:
Indeed, many people have understanding that even in Mindfulness, the Mind will absolutely in stillness. It will always be in the Present Moment and the Mind will not wander at all. Is it really so that the Mind will not wander?
Of course, not that your Mind will not wander at all. Yes, the Mind can wander in the Past, in the Future as well in the Present Moment. Why the Mind wanders even in Mindfulness?
The Mind naturally designed to wander at any place and any Moment, even in the Past or in the Future or in the Present too. If the Mind doesn’t wander at all, the question might come again, how are you going to have your memories of past, or how are you going to think over for the future as well at this very Present Moment? Isn’t it?
Yes, the Mind might wander even in Mindfulness. There is no doubt at all about such Mind Wandering tendency. It is very common.
The fact is that whether the Mind has such ability to understand or aware that the Mind is wandering. This is the key factor to know.
Yes, in Mindfulness, the Mind is absolutely aware that it is wandering. Once the Mind moves, no matter in the Past or in the Future or in the Present Moment, the Mind is totally aware of its movement. No doubt, it also depends on the ability of the Mind how many skills it was achieved by training or cultivation. If too little ability achieved, awareness, such wonders might have noticed too little also. If enough ability achieved, the Mind will be in more awareness that is the Mind will notice such wandering fast.
The fact is that ability of awareness is completely depended on how much ability has to be achieved by the Mind. The more training or cultivation, the more awareness will be in the Mind.
So, it is not like that the Mind will not wander in Mindfulness, and it will always remain in stillness. That most vital factor is that whether the Mind is aware of such movement or wandering in Mindfulness.
The Mind is totally aware of its wandering:
Does the Mind is aware about it wandering? This is the most focal point in Mindfulness.
Yes, the Mind is totally aware of it wandering. No matter where the Mind goes, the Mind itself is aware of movement. It is in the Past or in the Future or in the Present, wherever the Mind moves or wanders, the Mind is totally aware of it movement from one point to another.
Once the Mind is aware that it has already been moved to the Past or in the Future, the ability of Awareness of the Mind reminds it to back in the Present Moment.
This is the uniqueness of Mindfulness. No matter wherever the Mind moves or wanders, the Mind is absolutely aware that it has wandered or moved, so, such ability of awareness let it be back in the Present Moment be reminding that the Mind has wandered.
Is it natural that the Mind will wander in Mindfulness:
You might surprise that even in Mindfulness the Mind wanders and most probably a question might come in your Mind that is it natural?
In fact, the Mind is not a Mechanical Device that you can stop by pushing the switch off bottom. In fact, the Mind is a build system in the human being. Being a natural creation, all the physical or mental functions also operates naturally in human beings. Any resistance over natural functions always creates a distraction immediately, and this is almost impossible to restore.
As the Mind is a part of human body which has created naturally, obviously, the functions of the Mind operates also naturally. Wandering here & there at any moment, wandering in the Past or in the Future or in the Present Moment, are the natural tendency of the Mind. Resisting over the natural flow of the Mind intentionally might lead the Mind to be getting wild, like a block the natural flow of a spring by putting a dam or barrier.
This is true or real nature of the Mind who had tendency to wander. Knowing wandering tendency of the Mind, the most important fact is to be aware of the mom event or wandering of the Mind and bring back in the Present Moment gently which ability had already established in the Mind itself as being in Mindfulness.
Should the Mind be bring back in the Present while it wanders?:
As the Mind has already achieved the ability to be aware due to Mindfulness, the Mind is itself aware when it wanders either in the Past or in the Future or in the Present. Right?
As the Mind is aware of it movement or wandering state or wandering position, the Mind can apply its ability to bring itself in the Present Moment. That means, your Mind has such ability to be aware as well as bring back due to Mindfulness.
Of course, you have to be refrained from forcing the Mind to bring back in the Present Moment while you noticed that it is not in the Present Moment. Applying force over the Mind is nothing but to let the mind loose it natural activities. Hence, bring back the Mind very gently once you are aware that the Mind is not in the Present Moment. Of course, the Mind has ability to be aware and ability to bring itself the Present Moment due to Mindfulness.
Conclusion:
As being a natural creation of the Mind, it is no way to stop it from wandering. But, the Mind can achieve ability to remain in Awareness due to cultivation or training, such Awareness of the Mind can keep the mind itself be aware of its every movement. In the ability to be in Awareness, the Mind can naturally be brought back to its movement in the Present Moment, even though it wanders in the Past or in the Future or in the Present.
Hence, this is natural that your Mind still can wander in Mindfulness. This is absolutely normal and true nature of the Mind. Only be remained in Awareness and bring back your Mind gently while you noticed that it is not in the Present Moment.