Meditation Playlist 004
Meditation Playlist 004, Executive Producer: Ajani Charles, Producer: Ajani Charles, Art Director: Ajani Charles, Model: Nelima Bandeira, Editor: Olga Tymoshchuk, Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles
Mindfulness in the Buddhist tradition, known as sati in Pali, is fundamental to the tradition and all forms of meditation.
It refers to cultivating a focused awareness of one's present experience by observing thoughts, feelings, sensations, and the surrounding environment without attachment or aversion.
It is essentially non-judgmental awareness of the present moment and all we consciously can access, fostering an understanding of impermanence, suffering, and the nature of reality as we understand it.
Mindfulness allows us to observe thoughts and sensations, regardless of how personal or real they may usually seem as if they are clouds passing in the sky.
Mindfulness meditation involves cultivating mindfulness by focusing on a single object, thought, or concept, regardless of what other ideas or sensations may arise during the meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is simple but not easy.
It is simple compared to most of our fast-paced, day-to-day lives because we engage in far more complicated tasks and projects than daily mindfulness meditation, especially in major cities like Toronto, Tokyo, Lagos, or Shanghai.
What causes mindfulness meditation to be potentially confronting for the meditator is that it removes attachments to the distractions that most of us consciously and unconsciously use to shield us from uncomfortable thoughts and sensations.
I curated the playlist above for beginners to practice mindfulness and meditation; the playlist’s artwork features the Toronto-based model Nelima Bandeira. It is the fourth addition to my meditation playlist series (via Spotify).
As usual, I oversee the production, art direction, photography, and design for the artwork associated with each meditation playlist and curate the audio, which consists of binaural beats.
The playlists also act as a way for me to showcase the work of talented models in Toronto and elsewhere.
Follow these instructions to practice mindfulness meditation to the calming sounds of Playlist 004:
1. Find a quiet space and allocate a specific time for meditation each day.
2. Sit in a comfortable position, either on a cushion or chair, with an upright but relaxed posture.
3. Direct attention to the natural rhythm of your breath. Observe the inhales and exhales without trying to control them. Allow the body to breathe as normally as possible without consciously instructing it.
4. When your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, gently bring your focus back to the breath.
5. Observe all judgements that may enter your conscious awareness, including but not limited to judgements about how distracted you may or may not be, and wait for such judgements to pass.
6. Practice regularly. Consistency is key. Aim low initially; start by meditating for a minute per day and gradually extend the duration as you become more comfortable.
Regardless of socioeconomic background or other conditions, whether one is the president of one of the largest countries in the world or an inmate who will be executed this afternoon, almost everyone can practice mindfulness meditation for a minute per day.
The percentage of people who cannot spare 60 seconds daily to be with themselves (or who they think they are) through meditation is unbelievably tiny.
Nonetheless, the fears, insecurities, and anxieties that we usually run away from, metaphorically, the tasks we have been avoiding for extended periods and the uncomfortable conversations we have avoided with ourselves and others all come to the forefront of our consciousness during mindfulness meditation (and other forms of meditation).
Amid mindfulness meditation, we can no longer hide behind social masks, professional titles, or play status games with others and ourselves. The superficialities and pleasantries of our lives are no longer prioritized in the usual ways.
As such, I understand why most people avoid meditation, even if they know the practice’s numerous, scientifically validated benefits and have observed how it has helped those around them.
When I first began meditating daily in 2014, I could barely sit quietly for a few minutes.
It is a non-negotiable habit nearly as important as eating or sleeping, and I can meditate for hours (if I want to).
Daily, I meditate no matter what.
Between 2014 and 2018, I reinforced the habit of meditating regularly in sensory deprivation chambers, or float chambers, for an hour at a time. Joining various groups based on meditation also helped me to become accustomed to meditation.
It does not matter if a loved one has passed away, if I recently experienced a physical injury, or if the world is in turmoil as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, I can and will meditate every day, as I have learned that the turbulence of my mind and the turbulence of the material world as I perceive it are far too challenging to navigate without mindfulness.
I also know that meditating today will lead to the steadiness of mind that I will need tomorrow when I inevitably face challenges that I have yet to meet.
By not meditating, my life was far more complex and confusing than it had to be, and I was far less mentally resilient.
As a daily meditator and mindfulness consultant, I still experience anger, impatience, impulsivity, and other mental states and paradigms that can be problematic (based on my subjective value systems and priorities).
But, they would all have far worse adverse impacts on my health, well-being, and relationships and would guide my decision-making to far greater extents had I not developed the daily habit of meditation (among other mindfulness practices I engage in daily, like different journaling).
Anger, impatience, and the like are a part of being human and monks who meditate far more than I experience them. Sometimes, emotions like anger and impatience are essential signals that require our attention; they tell us that something about ourselves or our environment needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
There is a misconception that frequent meditation empties the mind, and while that can happen for short periods, such emptiness is not possible for longer for most people.
Before the point of neuroticism, a certain amount of mental chatter is a sign of mental health.
Through the cultivation of mindfulness, I am also far clearer regarding my goals and values than ever before.
This year, a study explored mindfulness meditation's effects on motor control and cognitive functions.
The study was published through Frontiers In Psychology, and the research was conducted via Aix-Marseille University, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique and Institut Des Sciences Du Mouvement in France.
The research involved 55 participants, both novices and experienced meditators, who were randomly assigned to either a mindfulness meditation session or an active control intervention.
The study utilized a bimanual coordination task to evaluate motor control, finding that both interventions improved coordination between hands similarly.
Additionally, mindfulness meditation enhanced the intentional maintenance of a specific coordination pattern, known as the anti-phase pattern, suggesting improved motor control skills after a 15-minute session, regardless of prior meditation experience.
The study also revealed improvements in selective attention, indicating that mindfulness meditation positively affects both motor control and cognitive functions.
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