Mindful Reading: The magic of books and reading for pleasure
“I do believe something magical can happen when you read a good book.” ~ J.K. Rowling
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a little girl who loved to read. She loved to read so much that she would spend hours, and hours, and HOURS reading, becoming so immersed in the story that she became part of the story.
When she was old enough, like around age 9, she would ride her bike to the library, spend a couple of delicious hours searching through the shelves, pick up at least a dozen books, check them out, bring them home and devour all of them in rapid succession. To her, a trip to the library was no less exciting than going to the candy store. There was so much magic to be found in a book and many happy Sunday afternoons were spent lying on her bed, reading, and soaking it all in.
Yes, that little girl was me, and oh how I miss those days!
Just recently, I was talking to a friend (also a life coach) about how rushed we are these days and how hard it is to practice mindfulness. She asked me to think back to when I was 10 years old and my favourite activities. Reading was the first thing I thought of and it occurred to me that the way I read today is nothing like the way I read back when I was 10. And I realized that back then I was engaging in mindful reading. I read, absorbed and delighted in every single word. I didn’t pick up a book for 10 minutes and speed-read, or read for a few minutes before bed, like I tend to do now. I shut out all distractions. Time meant nothing. I didn’t “multi-task” or think about other things.
I just read the book. I read only for fun and the absolute pleasure of it. Imagine!
What does it mean to do an activity in a mindful way?
We are engaging in a mindful activity when we pay attention in the present moment to only one thing at a time. Nothing else. Just one thing at a time.
When we do a positive activity mindfully and with our full attention we quiet all that other stuff in our mind, we feel less anxious, and we feel more joy.
So this past week, just for fun, and at the suggestion of my life coach friend, I decided to experiment with some mindful reading. It was hard at first to put my entire attention on my book. Usually I have my iPhone and iPad nearby. I’m checking messages and social media, flitting from one thing to the next. It was hard, really hard, but I turned off my phone and put my iPad in the other room. I then sat on the couch and opened my book. I gave myself a full 30 minutes (I know - that’s half an hour!!) to do nothing but read.
You’d think it would be easy to sit, relax, and read, but it wasn’t. It was hard at first, really hard. I found myself skimming the words, and wondering if I should be doing something else. As I was reading my mind wandered off (as minds do) and suddenly I was thinking about all the things I should (an awful word!) be doing instead.
Eventually, though (and after doing some mindful breathing), I was able to relax and enjoy my book. What a delight! So I did it again the next day. And the next. And I’m doing it again today.
So here’s a challenge for you.
1) Set aside 30 undisturbed minutes.
2) Make a cup of tea (or your favourite beverage).
3) Before you start reading, do a mindful breathing exercise. For example, close your eyes, take three long, slow, deep breaths and then concentrate on your breath for 1-2 minutes.
4) Pick up a book (yes, a real book) that looks like one you’d really like to read. Not one for work or one you have to read, but one you want to read.
5) Read - and read every word, slowly and luxuriously.
Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but oh so worth it!
If you’re interested, for more information: Here’s an article I found in the NY Times that has more ideas about mindful reading.
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