How to Practice Mindfulness like the Stoics

The benefits of mindfulness have been a hot topic of scientific study recently. Beginning in the 1970’s, mindfulness began being used by western medicine originally for its positive effects on stress reduction. Over the past few decades mindfulness training has continued to grow in support and has now become widely embraced by modern psychology. Studies have shown that actively cultivating mindfulness reduces stress, sharpens memory and improves self-esteem. It has also been shown effective at preventing relapse in depressive symptoms compared to patients taking medication. Most people associate mindfulness training as primarily a Buddhist practice which has been around for about 2,500 years. Mindfulness is also a core component of Hindu culture as well as Zen practices throughout Asia. Traditionally these practices utilize mindfulness as a tool to improve spirituality related to religious practices. The Stoic philosophers of ancient Rome and Greece also practiced a form of mindfulness that was independent of the practices from eastern cultures. The Stoics referred to it as Prosoche, which roughly translates into attention, the practice of being continuously attentive to your present thoughts, desires and actions.

What is Mindfulness

The goal of modern mindfulness is to ultimately become more present and engaged with your life by deliberately focusing on and paying attention to the current moment. One popular technique is to begin by focusing on the sensation of your breathing. Thoughts will come and go but the point is to relax and let your thoughts pass by as if they were passing clouds without getting attached to them or forming Judgments about these thoughts. Unfortunately, these thoughts and emotions are a constant presence in our minds and can easily carry your attention away from the moment and lead to rumination and excessive worry. When this begins to happen, the practice is to notice that your mind has wandered, and gently bring your attention back to the present, usually by returning your focus to your breathing.  With time you will be able to remain more alert, relaxed and control what you choose to focus on, even when you are not actively trying to practice mindfulness. Through repetition you will be able to slow down and view how your mind operates, ultimately giving yourself more ability to navigate your thoughts and judgments in ways that are helpful for you. Most people go through life passively, almost as a passenger controlled by a constant undercurrent of emotions, fears and desires. This situation is made worse because most of these thoughts and emotions we are constantly bombarded with are negative. This results in being easily distracted and often our mind is engaged in something other than what we are actively doing. It is as if we are living a large portion of our life caught up in a daydream. Mindfulness training improves your ability to be a more active participant in your internal monologue.  It broadens your awareness and lets you be more present with what you are doing, allowing you to fully live in the present moment.

Stoics and Meditation

The Stoic philosophers did not meditate in the traditional sense. The traditional form of meditation that we think of was unknown to them. So the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers did not sit in the lotus pose and chant a mantra. They did however put a great deal of importance on the monitoring of your thoughts and emotions. Though a large amount of scientific study suggests sitting quietly for 10-20 minutes per day actively meditating is beneficial, it is not the only way to use mindfulness. The Stoic way is constantly valuing this current moment, to not be swept away by memories of past events, or tormented by fears of tomorrow, and not just as a practice confined to a designated time but always. The Stoic practice involves universal shift in thinking to consistently focus on the present. Through constant practice, mental well being will be improved by focusing only on current problems, and addressing problems from a pragmatic and solution based point of view without unnecessary emotion. 

“Wild animals run for the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come. A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present”

Seneca Letters From a Stoic Letter V

“Those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy”

Marcus Aurelius

The Stoic Version of Mindfulness

A key difference with modern mindfulness practice and Stoic practices is that in stoic practice there is an additional aim to use this clarity of focusing on the present to ADD in positive philosophical traits. At its core, Stoic philosophy is intended to improve the positive social traits of virtue, generosity and courage. The ultimate goal is to become the best version of yourself by improving positive character traits. It is then recognized that when these traits are cultivated, happiness and the improved mental health follow. So where current modern Mindfulness practices solely aim to relieve anxiety and improve mental clarity. The Stoic’s intention takes it a step further and uses this increased mental clarity and openness to foster other positive character traits. By monitoring your internal thoughts and emotions, you will be better equipped to combat procrastination, make wiser decisions and build better habits. For any object we wish to improve, it must first be monitored. We all have a limited bandwidth of attention. If we were to spend this precious mental energy reflecting on shortcomings that occurred years ago and longing for past events to have turned out differently, that energy and time is now gone. No longer available for your current problem. How much time do you spend dreading future events? These exercises are not only unhelpful but they subtract from your ability to tackle the present. The Stoic’s would agree that his current moment, right now, is the only moment in all of existence that we have control over. Pay attention to it, for it is fleeting.

Seneca describes a daily practice of “putting the day up for review”

He writes of a friend that “ when the day was spent and he had retired to his night’s rest, he asked his mind, “which of your ills did you heal today? Which vice did you resist? In what aspect are you better?” Your anger will cease and become more controllable if it knows that every day it must come before a judge. Is there anything finer, then, than this habit of scrutinizing the entire day? .. When the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent, aware of this habit that’s now mine, I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by. No matter what aspect of your life you are reviewing, if you were to analyze your performance at the end of everyday this would undoubtedly lead to dramatic improvement. The simple fact of knowing every thought and action will be scrutinized and graded later, it will force you to be more deliberate, more mindful. That is how the Stoic philosophers exploited the full power of mindfulness.