Mindwaves

Asia has always held a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because it was here that I gained my "independence" in my early twenties, or maybe it's simply the quiet magic the continent carries. Whatever the reason, Asia has always felt like a second home to me.

So when I made the decision to leave my full-time job and felt the need to disconnect from the world to reconnect with myself, Thailand felt like a natural choice for the six-week journey.

However, as I often like to say, the real journey always starts within.

And so my first stop was the island of Koh Phangan, where I attended a week-long mindfulness retreat bridging the mind, soul, and body. This was, in fact, my second retreat at the same center. However, the experience felt different. Unlike the first time, when I was on a short escape from my usual life, this time I had much more headspace to fully immerse myself in the process. I have always enjoyed reflecting on life, but the teachings at this center intensified my search for truth and encouraged me to observe everything with curiosity and an open mind.

"Are you really open-minded if you are close-minded toward close-minded people?"

Ishi, the founder of the retreat center, asked. The question sparked my interest and made me observe my own patterns of thinking and behavior. And this was only the beginning of a series of thought-provoking questions that left my mind wandering in search of answers I might never fully encounter.

While the retreat was incredible — I truly believe that everyone should experience something similar at least once in their lifetime — and offered a completely new way of viewing life, I knew the real value lay in carrying those teachings beyond the walls of the retreat center and practicing them in everyday life.

As I continued my road trip, I couldn't help but compare Western and Eastern philosophies of living. One of the foundational thoughts in the West is "I think, therefore I am" (René Descartes). In contrast, many Eastern teachings convey a very different message: You are not your thoughts. Observe them as they arise, but do not become them. Mindfulness, they say, is about focusing your attention on the present moment — thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings — with a non-judgmental and accepting attitude.

If we are mindful enough, we become observers of life. Instead of dividing everything into black and white, good and evil, light and dark, we begin to see life in its wholeness — recognising that it is not only us living in the universe, but that the entire universe lives within us.

Mindfulness helps us shift from autopilot mode to conscious awareness — and therefore to conscious living.

With these thoughts in my mind, I looked around and noticed how many people seem to live on "autopilot" for years, often unaware that they are not fully living. Doing jobs they care little about, staying in relationships that have long outgrown their potential, waiting for the weekend only to let it slip away again. Jumping from one thing to another, always on the go, never satisfied.

I believe one of the most important historical events that happened was the Industrial Revolution. Apart from all the technological advancement it brought, there was a big change in how people perceived time. Suddenly time became synonymous with money — and so nobody wanted to waste it. Looking out of a window for an hour became quite a useless activity.

And so now, when the next technological revolution is on the horizon, the changes to our lives will be tremendous and unprecedented. Analysts predict that either AI will take over and we will be doomed, or AI will actually help us live freely by exempting us from unnecessary tasks. While the first option clearly promises a global human catastrophe, what would happen when we are no longer expected to "perform" and our worth is not measured by our productivity?

We are standing at a very critical point in human history — when we have the choice of using technological advancement to either destroy each other in the hunger for power and dominance, or quite the opposite: let technology handle the tasks and focus on what matters most: life itself.

In today's context of global wars, it might be hard to focus on the inner journey, but I believe it is more prominent than ever to connect to our breathing and therefore to our genuine selves — in the attempt of living consciously. What if next time you wash the dishes, you wash them intentionally? What if going for a walk, you notice the trees and the birds? What if the world would benefit more from stillness than from movement — and what if by switching from autopilot to conscious living, one person at a time, we can awaken the collective human consciousness that is focused on creating rather than destroying?

I hope that for anyone who took the time to read this article, it ignites some sort of reflection and reconsideration of choices — both big and small. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and start a discussion.