observation Application Chapter One
reflection
What led Blake to her reaction of the woman across the river?
Have you ever experienced an unintentional social error?
In what situations do you lack self awareness?
What problematic aspects of your society do you ignore?
19
analysis
Blake did not practice observation of her surroundings or self-awareness in this example. The encounter made her uncomfortable because she offended a local by wordlessly judging her, her culture, and (in a way) her country. When she let her bodily awareness fade away, she became solely reactionary, which left an opportunity for error. Aside from her physical reaction, there was also an issue with her immediate internal judgment of the community. Instead of taking a step back and recognizing the people’s autonomy and authority in the situation, Blake assumed they were ignorantly poisoning themselves and that she had the answer to their problems.
Blake heightened her awareness by practicing a body-scan technique that you will learn in the next section. She also could have benefitted from the emotional-awareness meditation to stay in touch with and accept her feelings and thoughts in the moment. Mindfulness means allowing our thoughts, actions, and reactions to surface, enabling us to make a conscious choice about how to respond. When Blake practices these mediations, she will improve both her internal and external awareness.
recommended reading
"Mindfulness for Beginners, Reclaiming the Present Moment – and Your Life"
By Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
This easy to read book includes a CD of guided meditations and manageable introductory chapters to mindfulness. Kabat-Zinn is the founder of mindfulness based stress reduction, and a respected scientist, writer, and meditation teacher.