The first key to walking in the Way of the Coyote is to learn a new form of consciousness called mindfulness. Mindfulness means simply paying attention to the present moment. Think about something that stresses you out. Now ask yourself, “Is it something about the past, about the future, or about this present moment, as I’m reading this sentence?”
The vast majority of things that stress us out either have to do with the past or with the future. Very few things that stress us have to do with the present moment. While it is true that we can be stressed about things involving the past or the future in this present moment, when we are doing so we are in something called the mind trap. In other words, when we are stressing out, in this present moment, about the past or the future, we are living in our heads instead of in the present. We are stressing ourselves out in the present because of the past or the future.
There is, however, another way to be present in the moment.
The past only exists in our memory. The future only exists as we make educated guesses about what may or may not happen in the future, based on past experience. If we project our past experiences into the future, then those projects also only exist in our minds. In the present moment we can choose what to focus on about the past or the future.
Note that this is different than telling yourself “Don’t think about the past” or “Don’t think about the future.” Telling yourself not to think about the past is thinking about the past. Telling yourself not to think about the future is thinking about the future. So the more you tell yourself not to think about the past (or the future) the more you’re thinking about the past (or the future).
Instead of trying not to think about it, simply note those thoughts and let them go. Recognize that thoughts are just things that your brain does. You can choose whether or not to give those thoughts power by acknowledging them. The more you dwell on them, the more power you give them. The more you focus on the present moment, paying attention only to what your senses are telling you, the less you are caught in the mind trap.
It has been said that there are three ways to deal with a problem. The first is to solve it. If it is a problem that cannot be solved, then the second way to deal with it is to change the way we think about it so that it is no longer a problem. If we can’t change the way we think about it, then we may just have to accept that this is the way things are. When we conceptualize problems and solutions in this way, we are mindfully aware.
The more experience we gain in achieving mindful awareness, the more we are able to move towards a state of radical acceptance. Such acceptance allows us to deal with life as it really is, in the present moment.
The most basic feature of mindfulness involves simply paying attention to the present moment. One way to do this is to focus only on your breathing, without thinking about anything. If a thought comes to mind, simply note it and let it go, without judging yourself or the thought. It’s perfectly natural that thoughts will try to surface, because we are taught to be thinking creatures. However, as you practice with mindful awareness, it will get easier to let those thoughts go, so don’t get frustrated if it is difficult at first.
Remember that it’s not a question of trying not to have any thoughts.
A better way to picture it is as ripples on a pond. The water in the pond is your thoughts. The ripples are the troublesome or negative thoughts. If you try to smooth out the pond you’ll only succeed in making more waves. But if you sit quietly and wait for the pond to settle down on its own, soon your pond will be as smooth as glass.
The features of mindfulness are tools that we may use to help to smooth out the surface of our own inner ponds. When we are able to achieve such a state at will, we have achieved mindful awareness.
Mindfulness is a skill like any other. It can be difficult to learn at first, because it is so diametrically opposed to the way we’re accustomed to thinking, acting, and doing. Some of the techniques of mindfulness may feel strange, simply because they are different.
“Different” doesn’t mean “better” or “worse,” it simply means “different.”
Remember that, “Insanity is doing the same thing in the same ways and expecting different results.” To put it another way, if what you’re doing isn’t working, then doing more of the same isn’t going to work either. If we’ve been doing things that lead to negative consequences, we’re probably doing those things because they feel familiar to us. But the way to get different results is to do things in different ways. This leads to different consequences for our actions. It’s only natural that doing things differently will feel strange or weird at first. If it didn’t, chances are you already doing things that way. So learning to get different results means being willing to do things differently.
Mindfulness is a way to do things differently.
Although meditation is a part of mindfulness, mindful awareness is much more than a meditative technique. Mindfulness is a way of life. The techniques of mindfulness can be applied to any of our day-to-day experiences. They are not restricted to the realm of meditation.
Like anything else that has to be learned, mindfulness is a skill that requires practice. Leonardo da Vinci didn’t paint the Mona Lisa the first time he picked up a paintbrush. Likewise, you probably won’t be able to jump right into mindful awareness mode of being without a lot of practice. That’s okay. Give yourself permission to practice once in a while.
The more you do so, the more mindful you’ll become!
1.7 The Power of Intention
We can talk about problems all day, but until we start talking about solutions, nothing will ever get solved. The way to solve a problem is to take positive, intentional steps towards finding a solution.
All of the skills of mindfulness come together in the power of intention. A mindful life is a life lived deliberately and effectively. Such a consciously lived life is not driven about on the winds of whim and fortune. It is a purposeful life. The Way of the Coyote that leads to ecospirituality is also a purposeful life, lived intentionally. The power of intention helps us to solve problems in a purposeful manner. It is possible to live a life of purpose through tapping into this power. The way to us the power of intention is to begin by asking two questions:
- What am I trying to accomplish here?
- Are my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors going to help me to achieve this goal?
When you are able to focus on your intention in a given situation, you are able to let go of problem-based thinking like blaming, shaming, and guilt-tripping and to move on to a solution-focused way of thinking. When you are able to do this, you are well on your way to the ultimate goal of ecospirituality, which is the ability to live according to your own true nature. To practice the power of intention, download the worksheet below and try the Power of Intention activity.
