Natural state of mind
Taking a moment to be truly aware of our surroundings can reignite our sense of wonder, says
Who has never gazed enviously at a bird soaring through the sky? Or delighted in the uplifting tunes of nature’s songsters? Birds are an everyday source of beauty, wisdom and wonder.
They’re also the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness. Bird flight is a wonderful symbol of our freedom to soar through life without constraint, and mindfulness similarly enables us to invite freedom into our lives. Birdwatching is also the perfect entry point to rekindle our innate bond with the natural world.
Mindful Meetings With Birds
You can begin without even leaving your house. “Window-birdwatching” is the ideal exercise to enjoy while eating breakfast or taking a break from daily chores.
As I sit here writing, I need only turn my head to look out of my window to see a blackbird, a robin, a great tit and a wren. The blackbird, with striking bright orange rings around its eyes, is pecking for worms. In the corner of the garden, the red-breasted robin is perched on top of a bush. In the tree, the great tit catches my eye with its smart black mask and white cheeks as it hops from branch to branch.
Why not try window-birdwatching yourself? Look out the window. What can you see and hear? You will almost certainly see a bird or two. There’s no requirement to be able to identify the various species. Although this can enhance your birdwatching experience, my book focuses on guiding you through being curious, paying attention and enjoying what you notice, reigniting a sense of wonder. This is the essence of mindfulness.
Rediscovering Mindfulness
Let’s begin with a simple exercise. Find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes. Start by noticing where you feel your breath. Do you feel it in your nostrils? Your chest? Your abdomen? Notice where your body touches the ground. Are you experiencing any physical sensations or emotions? Notice any thoughts you have. Become aware of what’s around you.
Clockwise from main: Claire Thompson birdwatching; a robin; a great tit; her book, inset
What can you see? Hear? Smell? Touch? Taste? Just notice what you encounter without seeking to label it or achieve anything in particular. Noticing our experience in this way is the first component of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is something we do. It isn’t a concept, an idea or a belief. What’s more, we all experience it already – it’s our natural state, prior to the accumulation of social and environmental conditioning. Mindfulness is less about learning a new skill than rediscovering one we already have.
How We Notice
The second component of mindfulness is how we notice.
Mindfulness is usually defined as paying attention, on purpose and non-judgementally to our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment. How we do this involves infusing our awareness with a particular set of “colours” or attitudes. It’s like cultivating a garden, which flourishes when a set of elements are present such as water, nutrients and light.
The non-judgemental part of mindfulness is about observing and kindly welcoming our direct experience as it is, without seeking to change it. Left unchecked, our narrating minds automatically judge and label our experiences of life. Mindfulness is learning to be aware of these judgements, taking a step back and keeping an open mind.
Mindfulness Of Breath
By bringing our awareness to our breath, we can train ourselves to become grounded in the present moment. Find a quiet place to sit, close your eyes and bring your awareness to where you feel your breath. Observe any sensations, experiencing each breath as it happens without seeking to change it. Follow the sensations as the air comes into your body, and out again. Your mind will wander, which is perfectly normal. When you notice this, recognise any thoughts arising and bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath. This noticing is a moment of mindfulness. If you have to bring your mind back a million times, simply do so, with kindness. Remember to practise regularly, ideally once a day. n