What if, after all this time you found out that there are two ways of experiencing life, and that although they’re both equally important, one tends to dominate? One is more obvious and tends to be in the foreground, the other is less apparent and in the background. These are the “doing” and “being” modes of experience. Although these two modes, like movement and stillness, seem different and possibly incompatible, it is possible to experience doing from a state of being. Many artists, musicians, writers, and athletes achieve greatness by doing what they do from a state of being.
In our busy lifestyles, we’re very much aware of doing stuff. From projects, tasks, and activities at work and in our personal lives, to cleaning the house, or walking around the supermarket; it seems that our lives are almost constantly full of activity. We’re also busy with thoughts in our heads, which is also a form of doing, anticipating, planning, worrying, ruminating, commenting, rehearsing, comparing, or problem-solving. If we bundle all the busyness in our external world together with what we do in our heads, it’s no wonder we have little time to relax, pause, and reflect. In contrast, research on hunter-gatherers, both our ancient ancestors and the hunter-gatherers alive today, found that their lifestyle is about spending around three days a week on tasks, like sourcing food and cleaning. The rest of the time is spent relaxing and socialising.
Although there are plenty of activities that bring pleasure and happiness, for instance, a wonderful meal or an uplifting visit to the theatre, much of the doing that takes up our lives is a means to an end, rather than the end in itself. The trouble is that we get bound up in doing mode, forgetting that this is a means to an end. Doing without being can be exhausting, empty of meaning, and consumes our precious lives.
Being is not only a special state we enter when we meditate or sit quietly, but also something we can all naturally access. Where doing is often focused on the form and content of the activity, being is the background conscious awareness in which the activity takes place. Using the analogy of the snow globe, doing is all the particles that are swishing around, and being is the water. It’s interesting that the word we use for health and happiness, “wellbeing”, is the state of being where we find stability, balance, and meaningful connection with life. Coming from a state of being, we have a richer and more vital relationship with our experience. Whatever we do during the day, we experience a deeper state of being every night when we fall asleep our body and mind become rejuvenated and re-energized.
When we experience pleasure and happiness in doing it’s often because we’re aware of our state of being in the background. For instance, an artist enjoying the creative tension of each successful brush stroke on the canvas, the musician improvising in a jazz quartet, or, on a more mundane level, kneading a loaf of bread or peeling potatoes are all examples of where we can naturally experience doing from a state of being. Doing from being is very similar to a state of flow, where time seems to expand as we effortlessly engage in an activity we find particularly meaningful
Ways of bringing a greater sense of being into our lives include:
- Remaining alert to mind-wandering, bringing our attention and awareness back to the present moment and the task at hand
- Connecting as directly as we can with experience, focusing our attention where the “work gets done”; where the paintbrush meets the canvas, the fingers on the keyboard, or the words on the screen
- Establishing a daily meditation practice to begin the day from a state of being
- Pausing between activities to broaden and expand our awareness; resting in the background awareness that includes all activity, sounds, thoughts, feelings, sensations
Although becoming more aware of our state of being is not something that we were taught at school, it’s an important part of what it means to be human. When we’re in a calm and balanced state of being, we are more able to respond skilfully to whatever arises in our experience with clarity, openness, ease, and kindness that make a significant difference to our performance and well-being.
Suggested weekly practice
- When walking, remember to come into being by bringing awareness to your body and senses and seeing what difference that makes.
- Explore doing from being in an activity you enjoy, maybe playing music, painting, baking, and rest in being as you create without getting caught up in thought
- Pausing in the natural breaks between activities to broaden your awareness and connect with the background of experience.
Guidance
Find somewhere undisturbed and sit in a comfortable, dignified, and upright posture, where you can remain alert and aware.
You can close your eyes, or lower your gaze while the meditations play.
- Play the first settling practice, then read through the session content.
- Then play the second practice to explore and experience doing from a state of being.
