@keni asked an interesting question the other day, about how to better keep the ego in check. I said mindfulness and meditation. I’m no expert as I’m still a student of mindfulness. But here’s what I learned so far: 

To me, sitting meditation is one of the many practices of mindfulness. It’s a more formal practice, often associated with rituals, incense and sitting on a cushion to the sound of a bell. I don’t do that. I just sit, but it’s still considered more ‘formal’. More informal practices of mindfulness include when you are walking, eating, working, etc. 

But all of these are practices in witnessing the mind, to widen the gap between thought and response. The longer I practice mindfulness, the more well practised I get with watching myself, my thoughts, my actions. In past, my thoughts triggered responses immediately, like a knee jerk. But slowly, the gap between thought and response widens, with more practice. On good days, when I have an egoistic thought to act, but thanks to the gap, I didn’t respond. But most days, I fail. The mind wasn’t as alert and mindful, and I gave in to previously ingrained thought-responses patterns. And I do have a healthy ego for sure! But the good days give me hope. I don’t hope to entirely extinguish the ego’s voice in my head, but I think I can learn to stop responding more often than not…some day. If not in this life, perhaps the next…