What I Learned About Mindfulness From Star Wars
What do you think of when you hear “let the Force be with you”? Do you think of it as a quote from a Buddhist or other forms of mindfulness?
Main postulates of mindfulness, such as training the mind to stay focused and the consequences of letting your thoughts, emotions and feelings control you, underlies everything in the Star Wars universe.
If you closely listen to what Yoda has to say it might be applicable to your everyday life. He likes to talk in the context of “The Force”, which can be applied to mindfulness and meditation. You might not know, but George Lucas studied many philosophies while developing the entire series. As a result, the Star Wars films are heavily tied with Buddhism.
There’s even the character called Padme, who is directly named from the chant “Om mani padme hum”, which is: “Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, meaning that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure, exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha”.
Yoda — sounds like slightly altered word Yoga — is practically a meditation master, urging everybody to become aware.
10 Mindful takeaways from Star Wars
“Don’t center on your anxiety…Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.”
- Rather than being led on auto-pilot by unproductive emotions influenced by negative experiences and fears, with regular meditation practice we harness the ability to root the mind in the present moment and deal with challenges in a clear-minded and calm way.
“Check out craving strange You must”
2. With any kind of craving, our mind deceives what we truly need, through false interpretation or not knowing the root of a craving.
One of the key things you learn to observe and detach from in a mindful practice.
“ — I don’t believe it.
— That is why you fail.”
3. Faith in your success and benefits of your meditation practice is not something seen, but it does incredible deeds. If one does have faith, one can accomplish lots of tasks, goals, or dreams.
“You are not your thoughts, and you don’t have to go everywhere they tell you to”
4. Take it from the Jedi Masters and learn to observe your compulsive mind and its non-stop activity. Nonjudgmental observation is simple but incredibly powerful exercise. It is designed to connect us with the beauty of the natural environment, something that is easily missed when we are rushing around.
“You must unlearn what you have learned”
5. There’s a big chance that what we think we know is wrong. Or at least, incomplete. Or out of date.
Unlearning gives us a fantastic opportunity to be critical of where our habits and beliefs have come from. Once we realize how little we know, the world becomes a place to explore and discover things again. This can keep us open to alternative perspectives and creative, positive changes.
“Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter.”
6. Mindfulness as well as quantum physics teaches that we are not just our bodies, we should become selfless, and recognizing that the Force binds all life and creation together.
“Use the force”
7. Staying aware and focused isn’t a skill unique to Jedi Knights — it’s something anyone can master with a little practice. What about the Sith? Do they practice mindfulness? Quite the opposite.
“Let go”
8. Luke let go and allowed himself to touch the Force in the present moment — and of course we know the outcome of his shot. Luke was one with the Force at that instant, fully focused on his one present-moment task. He would not have succeeded in his mission of destroying the Death Star without letting go.
9. Use mindful breathing
Mindful breathing is the method for coming to know who we are. Mindfulness does not judge or reject or makes you change yourself; it is simply aware.
“For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship”.
10. It’s about an absolute interconnection, that pretty much any mindful practice starts with. Everything consists of energy.
Throughout Star Wars we see the Jedi practicing mindfulness and concentration, and as they do they come to better understand themselves, the galaxy, their own personal suffering, and the dark side within. THus, practicing mindfulness will make you more like a Jedi,
George Lucas chose a very wise way to spread the word about mindfulness — to wrap it up in an idiom, that is easily to an average almost-Jedi of Western world.
Yoda instructing me to let go, to uncloud my mind, to trust my deeper intuition and believe in my inner power.
We always wanted to find my own Yoda — that’s why we started Aware — a digital platform to find your personal Yoda.
From now and then, we let go and don’t ask you to Sign up on the main page.
May the mindful Force be with you.
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Originally published at blog.awarerightnow.com on December 22, 2015.
