Mindfulness and the Thai smile.
Mindfulness is the art of staying in the moment.
Many of us spend much of the time focused the past or the future. Most pay very little attention to what is happening in the present moment. This means that for much of the time we may be unaware of many experiences happening around us. When is the last time you stopped to smell the blooming apple tree in your backyard? When we focus on encounters from the past we may be reminding ourselves of bad experiences. How often have you heard a friend or a loved one complains about something that has happened at work? Notice I put the word “happened” in italics.
People tend to complain about things that have already occurred as opposed to things happening in the present moment. Can you think of a time when you have heard someone complain about an event transpiring in the present moment? Most complains originate from painful, hurtful or irratating things in our past.
Lamenting about the future is not much different. When we dwell on the future, we tend to feeling tension and nervousness. “Will I have enough money in my 401K to allow me to retire in 30 years?”
I believe therefore, that most of the time complaints and nervousness originates from past or future experiences and not things that are going on around us in the present moment.
Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present moment. We do not need to try and change things. We do not need to always wish for something other than what we have on hand. Mindfulness is simply accepting the world and its events with open arms. Mindfulness is a way of being, of remaining present, and practicing the art of observation. Much of the observation is focused on the breath, observing your breathing without trying to change it. When you focus on your breathing you become aware of the “here and now”.
When you focus on the present you will notice the change. You will notice yourself becoming more positive. You will let the past be the past and worry about the future when it arrives.
We as westerners can learn many things from Thai culture. Having an understanding of Thai society will allow you to get the most out of your time in the “land of smiles”. Mindfulness is everywhere you look in Thailand. Just look around and see the familiar Thai smile and you will see mindfulness in action. Of course, learning a few common Thai phrases before you trip will definately add to your experience abroad as well!
Good luck!
Professor Thomas
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Another post to let you know about the new video lesson on learning Thai phrases and learning Thai vocabulary. Check out the video lessons page to see the video Thai phrses the roughly translates to “No worries” or “No problem” Each video lesson introduces the Thai phrase and then explains the pronunciation of each sylable of each Thai word in an easy and understandable fashion.
