In today's world there is renewed interest in mindfulness. We are advised to be mindful of what we eat,where we shop and how we interact with the world. Yoga instructors give classes emphasizing to be aware of how we move our bodies, what muscles we tense or relax and position of bones and joints. Meditation enthusiasts instruct us to focus on a given mantra, or for the real experts, to focus on nothing at all. (Have you ever tried to think nothing at all? My experience says such is impossible for the human brain.) We are told to "get in touch with our feelings." In essence we are to be aware; of everything we do, say and think.
Amid this sea of mindful advice, we are also instructed to "go with the flow," to just let the universe wash over us; to "place our trust in god." We should go with our gut instinct, go with our first choice and not overthink our actions and their reactions. What is a mind to do?
Perhaps there is no dilemma here. Our bodies, and I think the universe itself, demands such counter-diction. The muscles in our limbs are set on opposite sides of their supporting bones and are in constant tension counteracting each other when the limb is "at rest." When we move a limb one set of muscles lessons it tension while the opposing muscle increases it by contracting. When the moon orbits its planet the force of its momentum balances the force of gravity between them. I once read that some great scientist,who's name escapes me, postulated that in any sufficiently complex system of logic there exists counterdicting true statements.
I think I tend to favor the "go with the flow" mantra in my life. My body performs the vast majority of its activities in a mindless state and usually I'm quite happy about it. I'm glad I don't need to tell my stomach to go ahead and empty its contents into my intestines or which of my muscles to contract or relax in order walk or run. I find it very stressfull when I take a class in fly-casting and need to be aware of the proper movements to send my fly gracefully over a river's ever changing currents. When I attempt to do so it inevitably results in my skilled instructor admonishing me and telling me, "you're just waving your arms around like a discombobulated windmill." When I find myself standing on a stream and decide to pay attention to what I'm doing my casts quickly go to hell and my level of enjoyment decreases almost completely. In a short time I revert back to daydreaming and just let my arms and body revert to doing their own thing. I follow the motto of that successful sports shoe manufacturer (Addios or Nike?) and just "Do It." That is not to say that I don't at times espouse the "mindful" approach. I did after all, sign up and pay money to take that fly-casting class and certainly am mindful of my feet when crossing the rocky bottom of a swiftly flowing river. (Although, many good stories have originated from such occasions when I forgot to to be mindful. Stories of wet, cold, terror. ) Both opposing states are required for the rich homeostasis of life.
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