Addiction is the Ultimate Checking-Out Process. Mindfulness is the Ultimate Checking-In Practice.

Attempting to get rid of a feeling is what we do when we use substances or certain behaviors to avoid feeling agitated, depressed, lonely, or any other seemingly intolerable emotion. But escaping unpleasant feelings is not a sustainable, long-term strategy. Escape ultimately depletes you—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Recovery involves stopping in the “here and now.” It involves opening your awareness to what is currently unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant—without labeling the experience. This is the practice of mindfulness. Here is my favorite definition of mindfulness: Paying attention, on purpose, to what is happening right now, without judgment.

Mindfulness Touch Points

Take a moment to try out mindfulness. Find out what it’s like to rest in the “here and now.”

First, take a slow, deep breath. Then mentally touch into these places:

• The place where your body touches your chair or the surface beneath you
• The sensations in your fingers
• Your lips touching together
• Your eyelids closing and opening as you blink
• The feeling of your ribs expanding as you inhale

These are just a few of many possible touch-points. The point is to land back in your body by observing the small sensations you usually overlook. The more you practice, the more easily you will be able to turn from old patterns of escape to remaining safely in the here and now.

How is it to be aware of your own unique, moment-to-moment experience of reality without judgment?