EFFORTLESS ACTION
You may be familiar with the adage “Try, try, and try again. Then, at last, youwill succeed.” And there can be some truth in that. Preparation, practice and experience are vital ingredients to success. But we also know that constant pushing, striving, and doing in a largely effortful way is stressful and often, self-defeating. Philosophers and neuroscientists alike agree that our most productive, creative self emerges when we are in the flow. Engaging with our lives in a relaxed but keenly receptive way. Author Edward Slingerland in his book “Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity” calls this “embodied cognition.” It’s often referred to as being “in the zone” or acting spontaneously: it is a state of complete mental focus and ease.
Using the ancient Taoist concept of wu-wei, a conceptual metaphor for ‘no-doing’, Slingerland points to the wisdom of letting go, or more concretely, getting absorbed into something bigger than yourself. For those who are are in the middle of a project or performing in some way, whether that be at work, playing sports, painting, or even building a birdhouse, this means letting the training take over. Even if you are simply listening to music or watching the sunset, it means being fully engaged with the experience as an active participant.
And for you Star Wars fans out there, it is very much in keeping with Yoda’s declaration, “There is no try.”
This non-doing, non-striving attitude we speak is worthy of cultivating for 
mindfulness practice. It encourages this kind of eased focus, this effortless action. This flow. Athletes, musicians, heart surgeons, fishermen, you name it- we humans have accumulated stories across all cultures of what it’s like to be in the flow. It’s described as a complete immersion in what you are doing, feeling part of something larger. And after the event, upon reflection, finding everything worked out beautifully, time felt, well, timeless. Perhaps you can recall moments like these right now. We can develop our ability to be in the flow at any moment, by attending to our practice without striving or strain.
Effortless action can be applied to doing any activity really that offers its own rewards, whether it be playing chess or baking a cake- anything you already know how to do on some level. Choose an activity with the intention of just being present to the experience, encouraging effortless action, ease and joy.
Your commitment to your formal mindfulness practice greatly enhances this ability of non-doing. It informs what truly can be a daily informal mindfulness practice. Maintaining an attitude without striving so much and encouraging a sense of spontaneity to your life, you become more and more effective in the way you move through the world. You enjoy a level of relaxation even when busy.
May your day be fully lived.
