There has been an explosion of interest in mindfulness lately – that process of emptying the mind of its clutter and detritus and directing it to focus on something that repays your attention: the patterned surface of a leaf, the shape of a loved one’s smile, the textures of a painting, the particular quality of light falling across the table. Countless books on mindful techniques, their spiritual pedigree, and their meditative benefits, jostle the shelves of bookstores and libraries. More than just part of our vernacular, learning to be mindful has become an aspirational goal.
Mindfulness makes me bridle. Not just because I am temperamentally ill-suited to its practice – my mind simply won’t be quiet!
