Benefits of Daily Life Mindfulness Practice: Insight Meditation

By Patricia T. Kelly, Ph.D.,
Berkeley, California, USA

I have been studying Theravāda Buddhism and practicing Daily Life Mindfulness Practice with Dr. Thynn Thynn at Sae Taw Win 2 Dhamma Center for several years, have participated in her retreats, and took her Introduction to Abhidhamma course. Most recently, I have been following online her senior class on the integration of Abhidhamma teachings in everyday life. Before this, I studied with a Zen teacher and did some sitting meditation for a number of years.

I have experienced many benefits and extra-ordinary experiences in day to day life since beginning my studies with Dr. Thynn. For example: I had a kind of breakthrough on New Year's Eve, 2006, which I was planning to spend with an old and dear friend. At the last minute, my friend said that she wanted her son to join us for dinner (and I thought into the New Year). I was sorely disappointed to think that the quiet, reflective time we had planned was not to be. My friend clearly wanted her son to be with her just then, so I said nothing.

Her son came earlier than expected, was extremely talkative and uncomfortable for me to be with. I found myself having very negative thoughts about his efforts to please, which were wearing. So, I absented myself and focused on my negativity. When it waned, I re-joined them. I then began to see my son's friend in a different light, without judgments. I could accept him for who he is at this time, without being put off by his mannerisms, nervousness and (to me) insincerity. We wound up having a most lovely time dinner, all three of us together. I could see that he is young and insecure, that he very much wants his mother's and my approval. By the end of dinner, I began to feel great warmth for him.

After dinner my friend drove her son  home, so she and I were able to have our quiet, contemplative New Year's Eve together as we so often do, and stayed up way past midnight (we usually are lucky to last until 11). Now, when I have a negative feeling about a person, I often remember my son's friend and am able to be more loving and accepting. This experience was very powerful. I felt that the negative thoughts I had initially were so uncomfortable, I needed to find a way out of them for my own sake,  not just those of the people around me.

I do feel that my mind is becoming more and more still. And yet, there are times when I do become exasperated, such as when my old dog kept me up for hours the other night. Recently I have had several rapture experiences, similar to those I've had while sitting, but these later ones seem to have lasted longer and were stronger. However, the duration is hard to tell. These experiences start with a feeling of lightness in the body and breath. In fact, the breath and body seem to disappear. When I was walking, for example, somehow the body moved along, but didn't seem to touch the ground for a bit and then wasn't there at all. Yet somehow, at the end of it, there I was still walking along. I experienced a great sense of euphoria and spaciousness, peace and yet rapture at the same time. These experiences were surprising and fun. I could definitely get attached to them! I'm glad to have the benefits of Dr. Thynn’s teachings so I can appreciate that while these experiences are most pleasurable, they are temporary, and not the aim or end point of our practice.

I have been sitting in silent meditation off and on even after beginning my studies with Dr. Thynn. However, my daily life mindfulness practice did not really take off until I realized that I was not fully putting all of my effort into this practice, but was hanging back a bit, not fully trusting in the daily life practice, and using sitting meditation as a crutch. When I began to fully engage in the daily life practice, and stopped doing a bit of both, the daily life approach crystallized, mindfulness became stronger, and I was able to understand in a new way, which enabled me to practice more effectively in my day to day life.