For Those who Struggle with Mindfulness

Jesus said, “This is my body…” – Matthew 26:26 (NRSV) 

Mindfulness is a curious word, because having a “full mind” is exactly the struggle many of us have when attempting to devote singular attention to our experience for more than a nanosecond. If that struggle sounds familiar to you, try bodyfulness instead.  

Bodyfulness invites us to pay attention with our full body. Whether or not we are physically still, can we “listen” through every part of the body? 

Listening with eyes. 

Paying attention with ears. 

Tuning in with nose.  

Focusing with tongue. 

Noticing with skin.  

Devoting singular attention with organs and hair, bones and blood. 

If we pay attention to and through our body when we get pulled into the mind-stream of thoughts and emotions (roughly every five seconds), we are less likely to be swept away. Next time you are anxious or scattered, tune into your feet, attend to the flow of your lungs, notice with your scalp. Staying in our body means we stay grounded exactly where we are.

Near the end of Jesus’ life, when tensions and fear were running high, he practiced bodyfulness at the table. “This is my body… this is my blood…” he said. I imagine everyone present became more attentive to their own body and being as well.  

Anxiety is running high these days for good reason. Join me in coming back to the body and listening with everything we’ve got.  

Prayer
Teach me to pay attention with my whole body and being, Embodied One.

About the Author
Matt Laney is co-Pastor of Virginia Highland Church UCC in Atlanta, GA and the author of Pride Wars, a fantasy series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Young Readers. The first two books, The Spinner Prince and The Four Guardians are available now.