Start with where you are
All journeys begin with where you are. If you don’t know where you are, it’s hard to proceed.
Developing wisdom is like that too. You must start with your current reality. This is the first phase of the wisdom journey.
I created a framework called the Five Doorways of Mindfulness to help. It shows how our “current reality” in any moment is a cycle made of five components: physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, actions, and underlying beliefs.
My clients use the Five Doorways to quickly identify the cycle they are experiencing in any moment. They can then adjust from an adverse cycle to a beneficial cycle if needed.
Each of the Five Doorways is an access point where an adverse cycle can be interrupted.
Below are some generic examples of interventions for each of the Five Doorways:
- Shifting focus from agitating physical sensations to pleasant or neutral sensations in the body.
- Releasing or reinterpreting unsettling emotions.
- Replacing negative thoughts with a series of gratitude statements.
- Taking actions that disprove a limiting underlying belief.
- Using inquiry methods to self-examine the accuracy of an underlying belief.
Patterns emerge
Over time, the Five Doorways reveal themes. You realize that the moment-to-moment cycles you experience point to larger, long-term patterns of behavior. (They are examples of fractals: patterns that repeat across scales.)
Over time, short-term patterns can become entrenched personality traits.
The good news is, these patterns are changeable, not static. We can learn to deconstruct our patterns and replace them with new ones. This is the second phase of the wisdom journey. Reactive patterns are replaced with skillful responses.
Changing patterns does not require extensive meditation experience. I teach everyday mindfulness: practical, targeted techniques suited for real-world, in-the-moment situations.
Most of us don’t have time to become a “world class” meditator like Tibetan Buddhist Mattieu Ricard, who is known as the “happiest person on Earth.” Brain scans reveal his default state of consciousness reflects a deep equanimity, developed over a lifetime committed to meditation.
Most of us may never reach this sublime state. But we can learn to shift our patterns of behavior using mindfulness-based techniques.
Getting results
As a coach, I’m interested in results. I want to see my clients take action that they really want for themselves…but have felt is unlikely. I’ve found that practices like the Five Doorways of Mindfulness can be profound difference-maker. It helps you view life from a broader, clearer perspective. New options come into focus where before you felt muddled. You begin to see underlying patterns of behavior in yourself and others, and how to change them. You operate with more flow, authenticity, and open-heartedness, even in especially challenging circumstances.
In short: you make better choices and follow-through on them.
The 5 doorways of mindfulness
The 5 Doorways of Mindfulness are your always-present access points to a more grounded, easeful, and authentic way of being.
1
Mindfulness of the body.
There’s a rich array of physical sensations occurring throughout your body in each moment. They tell you much more than if you’re hungry or tired. They’re can be an access point to your intuitive wisdom. Sound woo-woo? Let me show you!
2
Mindfulness of emotions.
All emotions are correlated with physical sensations in the body. In the West, dominant culture tells us that emotions aren’t professional or create too much drama. So we push them down or numb them out. When we do, we lose access to an important inner resource. Our emotions are like a compass that indicates when our needs are not being met.
3
Mindfulness of thought.
Most of us are thinking experts. We think so much that we confuse thoughts with our identity. But there are many aspects to who we are. We can choose to shift our awareness elsewhere when powerful thoughts get out of control. This is a vital practice to learn on your wisdom journey.
4
Mindfulness of action.
Every action you take results from the accumulated energy of the physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts that precede them. Mindfulness helps you slow down enough to see this chain reaction. This is especially helpful during conflict, when reactivity and other compulsive behavior can cause us to do things we regret. Instead of reacting impulsively, you can choose what strategy is best suited for the situation.
5
Mindfulness of belief.
As your practice deepens, you’ll find that beliefs are at the root of the Five Doorways cycle Often, they are underlying beliefs that we are not aware of and that limit us. Each time you feel, think, and act in accordance with a limiting belief, the belief gets reinforced. This is powerful knowledge. When beliefs are limiting, actions are restricted and rigid. When beliefs are open-hearted, actions are agile and flowing. You can work to change underlying beliefs, which changes how you feel, think and act. This is a profound new level of self-agency.
