Shifting Away from "Why?" and Into Curiosity

We are continuing to honor the life work of Thích Nhất Hạnh by reminding y’all that mindfulness is an innate ability within all of us.  BUT you gotta hide your phone, take out your Air Pods and practice connecting with your breath and what else is going on around you. 

For instance, do you get into “why” loops in your head where there is a constant recycling of thoughts like “Why did I say that?” or ‘Why is this happening again?”.  You might believe that the more you think and analyze, silently in your head or aloud with others, that you will eventually solve the ‘why’ and be able to move on.  However, if you’ve ever experienced the “why” loops, they really never get resolved.

Practicing mindfulness can help you shift from the “why’s” and into your body’s sensations or experiences that are occurring in the present moment. Curiosity can be the key to connect you to the here-and-now, improve relationships with others, release you from the annoying dialogue in your head and give your brain the vacation it is craving.

Curiosity allows us to ask “what else” is happening within us or around us. By being curious about what’s happening within you could lead you to discover sensations within your body that would love some nurturing. Connecting to what is happening in you could lead you to discover a feeling of heavy pressure on your chest, a tightness in your shoulders or back, shallow breathing or an ache in your tummy. And once you discover the body’s signals of distress and give the body what it needs, like deep belly breathing or body movement, you will probably notice the thought patterns are not as chaotic or noisy.

Or applying curiosity to what is happening to you when interacting with a friend or co-worker could reveal enjoyable or problematic dynamics in the relationship. For instance, curiosity might help you notice you become quiet, maybe even slouchy, while a co-worker talks about their weekend and doesn’t notice your new lapis blue highlights and much shorter hair.

Shifting away from “why” and into your body’s sensations, or experiences that are occurring in the present moment, can kind of give your brain the vacation it is craving. Curiosity can be the key to connect you to the here-and-now, improve relationships with others and yourself and release you from the annoying dialogue in your head.

Bringing curiosity, or the desire to become curious, into therapy can be the game-changing play you are looking for.