The concept of “mindfulness” is found throughout a number of eastern religions and more recently in a number of books making up the New York Times bestseller list. Although Eckhart Tolle can take credit for its recent popularity in the west, it is a concept that was first created by the Buddha about 2500 years ago. It is the seventh element on the Eightfold Path and was considered by the Buddha to be a major step on the path to liberation and enlightenment. Right mindfulness essentially involves bringing one’s awareness into the present moment and understanding that the mind is continually chattering with commentary or judgment. Those practicing mindfulness realize that “thoughts are just thoughts” and more importantly become aware that the messages one hears during “thinking” may not be accurate or helpful, but rather may be translations of, or departures from truth.
Common interpretation of mindfulness is that it can only be attained through meditation but Zen Buddhism teaches that mindfulness does not have to be constrained to a formal meditation session. Rather, mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time and does not require sitting, or even focusing on the breath, but rather is done by bringing the mind to focus on what is happening in the present moment. This can apply to activities as mundane as dinner where the mindful person remains aware of each unique taste. Although it takes practice, the truth is that any activity done mindfully is a form of meditation, and mindfulness is possible practically all the time.
This type of thought would seem to contradict many of the religious beliefs found in the west where judgement, thought, and analysis form a major function of one’s relationship with God. As a result it would seem that many western people would be incapable of achieving this state, but as is often the case a closer examination displays otherwise. I cannot remember a time in my life where sports was not an extreme passion. My passions have changed but at any given time in my life I have been both an active participant and observer of various sports. In this I am not alone. Our country takes great pride in our athletic endeavors and in many ways it is our “games” that help define who we are to the rest of the world. Despite this collective passion I always hear the counterpoint that the importance we attribute to grown men playing games is silly - especially in the discussion of salaries of the modern day athlete. And if we view sports as merely entertainment I would have to agree with this, but to me, and I suspect to a number of others, sports is far more than entertainment.
Following my move to Encinitas this past August I have fallen in love with surfing. It is this newest passion that is helping me see sports differently and is helping me understand my interest in the first place. I believe, that without knowing it, sports teaches us the practice of mindfulness and allows to be one step closer to the liberation that all religions seek. Surfing has elevated this for me. To be successful in the water you have to be completely in the moment. One distraction and your ride is over. You must literally clear your head of all thoughts and respond only to the wave. I often have a difficult time remembering any wave later in the day, mainly because I am so focused in the moment I have no time to file away the experience in my memory. This is not to say that this is a new experience for me. Even now in a pick-up basketball game I become solely focused on the task at hand. When I played water polo in high school and college, the sheer physical nature of the sport left no room for thoughts. This is what has made sports so special to me, its’ ability to turn off the chatter.
This is not a totally unique concept I am introducing as many prominent sports figures have discussed zen principles as part of their success. Phil Jackson attributes his success to his study of zen, and many athletes today discuss the introduction of meditation to their training regimes. But in this light Zen is seen as an external practice that is brought to the sport to improve performance. I maintain that the act of participation in itself allows every participant a chance to practice mindfulness and that this, whether consciously or not, is why so many see sports as “more than a game”.
