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I Learned to Use the Power of Mindfulness in the Army

Everything began when I got lost.

By CatalinutPublished about a year ago 6 min read
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In 1997, as I waited for the Army to save me and was lying in a field, I had my first lesson in mindfulness. I was a young captain enrolled in the OBC at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Despite my position, I had very little military experience. My first contact with the "real" Army was during this school, which included a two-week field training exercise (FTX).

We performed crucial army abilities including marching, shooting, and saluting during the FTX. We studied the fundamentals of land navigation as well as how to swiftly seal our gas masks and disguise our faces. As it turned out, I was better at lengthy ruck marches and concealment than I was at land navigation. I could read a road map and use a compass, but the Army map was complicated and included difficult-to-understand topographical elements.

The class had one last land navigation test that they would all have to complete on their own on the final day of the FTX. To graduate, students needed to successfully complete the course, which was defined as discovering two of the four points. If we failed, we would be recycled to the following class and given the chance to retake the OBC. I was worried about the course but had faith that I could locate the required number of points despite the fact that I was aware of my lack of land navigation proficiency.

Sometimes the Wanderers Get Lost

We had four hours to accomplish the task once we began at 1300. I got my coordinates, drew my first point, and then I was on my way. I quite easily identified the initial goal. The first point is always the simplest to find, which is probably done to make you feel more secure than you really are, I later discovered. It was successful, so I confidently moved on to make my second point.

I spent the following few hours moving through the training ground's undergrowth in pursuit of the second elusive grid coordinate. I looked at the map several times and used my compass, but I couldn't find it. I started to get worried as time went on. It was coming dangerously close to the deadline of 1700.

A Compass Is Not as Good as Mindfulness

I gave up on finishing the route at 16:45. I pulled off my kevlar, dropped my LBE (load-bearing equipment), and lay out in the middle of a field because I had been exhausted from walking in the Texas heat while wearing full military gear. For you civilians, that means I drank it! As I drained my canteen, I glanced up at the sky and wondered how an honor student could end up being recycled through OBC. I was concerned that this failure would reflect poorly on me forever since I believed I was the only psychologist who had ever failed a land navigation test.

I was concerned that I might be sent from my desired position at an Army medical facility to a distant station in Alaska. I would have to endure hours of lectures once more and repeatedly justify why I'm a captain and am only now enrolling in this course. Even worse, a captain who is repeating the curriculum's easiest course! Although depressing, the ideas weren't sufficient to get me moving again.

I waited for the instructors to send out a search party while I lay in the heat with flies buzzing about my sweating body. The silence before the storm, it was so still. When I heard it, I was enjoying the stillness. It was barely audible yet clear. the Humvee engine's noise There would be a car waiting at the rally point to take us back to camp, as we were informed at the outset of the exercise, I suddenly recalled. The fourth and last point on the land navigation path was where the sound was coming from.

I sprang up, snatched my LBE and kevlar, and I ran into the field towards the direction of the sound. Even though I broke through the forest line in the entirely incorrect way, I managed to arrive at the rally spot with plenty of time to spare. Unbearable relief was felt. I hurriedly climbed onto the Humvee's back with the rest of my students and seemed to have finished the course. which I sort of had.

How Can Meditation Benefit You?

On that day, many years ago, I discovered the advantages of mindfulness. I may not have heard the engine if I hadn't lay down on the field and paid close attention to the sights and noises around me. I would not have characterized my conduct as "mindful" in 1997 since mindfulness did not then have the widespread acceptance that it has now. But after some thought, it was.

"Simply recognizing what is occurring in the present moment without wishing it were otherwise is mindfulness. Being with the uncomfortable without worrying that it will always be this way (which it won't), and taking pleasure in the good without clinging to it when it changes (which it will).

John Baraz

Being mindful involves actively concentrating your attention on the here and now without being unduly reactive or critical. Both awareness and acceptance are involved. There is a chance to observe things you may otherwise miss when you stop and pay attention.

You miss the voyage if you are frantically rushing around in circles looking for the way. When you stop moving, what do you notice?

Reduced stress, better sleep, and improved focus are just a few of the health advantages of mindfulness. In interpersonal encounters, it helps to put some distance between our emotions and our reactions. Integral to holistic health is mindfulness.

It is beneficial to start small and gradually work the behavior into your daily routine, as with other new habits.

While wearing full military attire and resting in a field in the scorching Texas sun, you may also practice mindfulness. You may also practice mindfulness while breathing, meditating, eating, or making tea if that's what you like. Any daily action may incorporate mindfulness.

Here are a few ideas:

Practicing mindfulness while making and consuming tea

While the tea is steeping, hold the cup.

Avoid thinking about your to-do list or lingering worries during those brief moments and concentrate on the tea instead.

Inhale the aroma, feel the warmth of the cup, and take note of how the water's color changes.

Recognize ideas as they arise, and then gently bring your attention back to the tea.

Conscious breathing

Make yourself comfortable and sit.

Put your eyes closed and take a deep inhale.

As you breathe in and out, pay attention to how it feels.

How do your legs, back, shoulders, neck, and head feel? Complete a body scan.

Give your breathe and body your whole focus.

When thoughts enter your head, recognize them before turning back to your breathing. Take note of how your body is changing while you breathe.

Conscious eating

Before you eat, take a moment to consider your motivation.

Put down your fork after each bite, and eat it fully.

Distractions may be avoided by putting your phone aside and turning off the TV or computer. Give your meal your whole attention. Enjoy the meal.

'Five senses'

This grounding method makes use of awareness. Be aware of:

5 observations (clouds, tree, a favorite photo, colorful pillow)

4 feelings you have (warm blanket, breeze on your face, heaviness of your shoe)

You hear three things (hum of the heater, birds singing, traffic)

two smells you notice (clean air, your favorite lotion, fresh flowers)

you taste one item (chewing gum, drink of ice-cold water, sip of hot tea)

Summary There are many lessons in life. In 1997, when I was having trouble with a land navigation course, I discovered an unexpected mindfulness lesson. The road seems differently if we stop mindlessly meandering and pay attention to our current location.

This is mindfulness; it is both straightforward and effective. Every moment of every day may be spent practicing mindfulness. A little but significant investment in your health. One day, it could even be able to direct you.

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About the Creator

Catalinut

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