Noticing the small changes: How mindfulness grows quietly over time
Written by Will Crawford from quietnote
Spring is here. But how many of us have really noticed? The days still feel short, the weather is still quite harsh, and the grey skies often make us forget that change is already underway.
Yet, if we look closely, the signs have been here for weeks—tiny changes and unnoticeable moments of growth.
In many ways, this is a great metaphor for a mindfulness practice.
People often expect mindfulness to be a life changing, transformative experience—an immediate wave of peace, a sudden revelation that changes everything. But the reality is much quieter, much slower.
Really it starts off small, just a few ideas and techniques that don’t seem to make a massive difference at first. I think this is one of the reasons people tend to give up so quickly - we sit down with the expectation that a meditation is going to instantly clear our mind and relax the body.
Anyone who's been practising mindfulness for a while will know that very rarely does this happen, instead we tend to find our mind is busy and full of distractions.
When we sit down to meditate we are not trying to switch off, stop thinking or even develop a peaceful mind. In fact, the only thing we are trying to do, is to simply watch and observe our thoughts.
By doing this we’re letting go of any goals and targets that we’re trying to achieve through meditation. Instead of striving for an empty mind, we learn to become comfortable and patient with our thoughts by simply observing.
There’s nothing wrong with your feelings or thoughts. Why are you trying to change yourself in that moment, just watch and notice who you are, rather than who you want to be?
Relating this back to nature, if the natural world teaches us anything it’s the art of non-doing and patience. There’s a wonderful quote in Taoist culture that goes “Nature doesn’t do anything, yet everything is achieved." This perfectly captures what we should be looking for within our mindfulness practice.
The process is slow, steady, and persistent. We don’t just wake up and summer is in full bloom, it creeps in day by day, building momentum and then one day, the full vibrancy of summer arrives. This happened through the smallest of changes, long before we even took notice.
When my mind is particularly busy and challenging, I sometimes relate my personal practise to watching a busy garden. Lots happening, lots of jobs, but I’m just taking a moment to watch before getting started.
So, as the seasons change, take a moment to notice. Not just the dramatic shifts, but the subtle ones. The tiny signs of new life, both in nature and within yourself. Because real transformation doesn’t happen all at once—it happens moment by moment.
If you’re looking to establish a regular mindfulness practice and learn more about the benefits of music-based mindfulness, check out our website or drop us an email at info@quiet-note.com