Breaking Down Equanimity & Building Resilience with Mindfulness
by: Matthew S. Goodman, MA, BCB
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Equanimity is an important part of our mindfulness practice. Let’s break this term down and see how it applies to mindful living:
Equanimity: mental or emotional stability or composure (1), especially under tension or strain (2); calmness (3); equilibrium (4).
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(1) Mental or emotional stability. This is not an easy state of mind to cultivate- even in the absence of stressful situations. The mind is made to wander. We are basically born a neurotic.
Mindfulness teaches us mental and emotional stability through the practice of bringing our attention back to the present moment- and away from the fantasies and worries that usually sweep us away (and fuel our neuroses).
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(2) Especially under tension or strain. If you’re a human being, by now you’ve realized that life does not come without a generous supply of stressful situations.
This is where our mindfulness practice can really kick into gear. If we didn’t havestress, or suffering, there would hardly be a need for it. Mindfulness teaches us to weather the (internal and external) storms with more ease and skill.
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(3) Calmness. Mmmmmmm.
In the face of stress, our mindfulness practice helps us stay centered- observing phenomena as an “observer,” instead of getting tangled in the chaos.
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(4) Equilibrium. Eventually, we realize that we live in a world of opposites- and that equilibrium, or balance, is necessary to maintain equanimity of mind.
Our mindfulness practice helps us strike a balance between stress and ease. We learn that there is a balance to others things, too- happiness/sadness, work/play, exercise/relaxation, and most other areas of our life.
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