The Radboudumc Centre for Mindfulness has been offering mindfulness courses for Radboud University students and staff for years. The key is to be mindfully present in the here and now, with an open, curious and friendly attitude. It is a skill that people naturally possess, and that can be further developed through practice. It helps you to better notice your thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations, and to understand the connection between them. You become more aware of your automatic behaviour patterns, which are sometimes helpful, but often not.
Ultimately, this is also about how you want to live your life, what values you want to prioritise. This seems all the more relevant after the shock wave following the recent elections, which raised questions and concerns for many people. Who still counts in society, how do we stand up to climate deniers, are we sufficiently emphasising the importance of education and culture, do we still have compassion for people outside our borders who are victims of war and violence? For me as Director of the Radboudumc Centre for Mindfulness, such questions underline the urgency of stillness, reflection and making wise choices that include not only our own interests but also those of others and our planet.
While our 8-week mindfulness courses have a lot to offer, their true impact extends much further. Mindfulness is a lifelong journey, a lifetime of learning about the Buddhist roots of mindfulness and applying it in daily life. For example, in our international course for mindfulness trainers, we study the ethics of Buddhism as described in what is known as the ‘eightfold path’. This path focuses on the intention you want to live with, how not to harm yourself, others and the world, how to approach everyone with a benevolent, friendly attitude, and how to be content with what you have, instead of always wanting more.
The election results raise questions about the breadth of the voters' worldview. How does the focus on one's own livelihood relate to what is happening beyond our national borders, and to our planet as a whole? Many politicians are now calling for ‘stepping over our shadows’, but I sincerely hope that this really means balancing your own interests with those of others, and of our planet as a whole. Hopefully, a little mindfulness can contribute to achieving this balance.
Text: Anne Speckens