Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

Kabat-Zinn suggests that we can also find stillness in activity if that activity is so well rehearsed that it has become automated; he calls this “non-doing in action” (40). He uses an ancient Chinese poem about a cook carving up an ox carcass to illustrate his point; the cook doesn’t think with awareness about his actions, as his hands and body are so attuned to the required movements that his mind can find joy and relaxation in the task.

Non-doing in action requires intense practice and mastery; only then can one completely lose themself in an action, rather than needing to think through the specific steps. It is also known as a flow state. Kabat-Zinn explains that actions performed in a flow state are synonymous with meditation; both entail the complete and appreciative participation in each moment and the practice of allowing each moment to give way to the next.

Cultivating ethical values and practices assists in meditative practice because the harmonious state of meditation can’t be achieved without a commitment to living well and consistently with one’s values. In particular, cultivating patience helps in embodying mindfulness, as does peaceful compassion; this is demonstrated by the Dalai Lama, a Tibetan, who spoke lovingly and kindly toward the Chinese despite their policy of genocide toward the Tibetan people.