Consider the technique of visualization used by professional athletes. The idea is to close your eyes and imagine yourself executing a particular play to perfection. It requires deep relaxation as your mind “trains” your muscles to perform the sequence when required without explicit commands. Or, more specifically with a single command that invokes the proper action. When athletes use visualization in training they aren’t “in the moment” however they are using the same mental pathways common to mindfulness. Their minds are “in A moment” – a precise future moment. In a limited way the results are almost identical – reduced stress, improved creativity, emotional composure, and mental clarity. It’s all just another form of mindfulness.
Consider the skier. A serious skier is constantly scanning the terrain immediately ahead – maybe 20 feet in front of the skies. There is no thought given to the conditions immediately under the skies. The physical response to what is under the skies was “baked in” when the skier was 20 feet uphill. Active skiing requires this continuous state of mindfulness. Technically it’s not mindfulness “in the moment”. It’s mindfulness a split second in the future. Yet, it is still mindfulness. It also explains why skiers find the experience relaxing and mentally refreshing.
These examples along with pop forms of mindfulness are not the same as deep mindfulness meditation, which is always “in the moment”. But, “being in the moment” isn’t a requirement in order to experience mindfulness in our daily lives.
