When we talk about how to trust the process mindfully, we are talking about the fundamental mindset that will help you to trust a recommended process that you are committing to following.
In this short article we are going to apply this mindset to the process of practicing mindfulness.
# The Process = This Present Moment
In mindfulness, the process isn’t some distant goal — it's what is happening right now.
# Non-Striving
Mindfulness teaches us that trying to achieve a state — peace, stillness, enlightenment — often gets in the way.
Jon Kabat-Zinn calls this non-striving:
Trusting the process means letting go of the desire to "fix" or "improve" every moment, and instead resting in the unfolding.
# Impermanence and Change
Everything shifts: emotions, sensations, thoughts, moods.
# Patience and Faith
In mindfulness practice, sometimes you feel nothing is happening. Or you may feel frustration, boredom, even failure.
Trusting the process means having faith that simply sitting, breathing, noticing - over time - leads to transformation, even if the change is subtle and slow.
As Thich Nhat Hanh might say:
“We don’t need to chase after anything. Everything we need is already here, in this moment.”
In summary:
Here is a:
# Simple Practice: "Letting Be" Meditation
You can do this in just 5–10 minutes.
Zen Teaching: The Farmer's Luck
This is an old Zen parable you may have heard,
but it beautifully embodies trusting the process:
Lesson of "The Farmer's Luck":
Metaphor: The Bamboo and the Oak
Imagine two trees in a storm: the strong oak
and the supple bamboo.
All together, these point toward one deep truth in mindfulness:
Here is a:
A Daily Reminder Phrase
A simple phrase you can silently repeat throughout your day, especially when facing frustration or uncertainty:
“I trust this moment to unfold as it must. I release control, and I am here.”
You can say it when:
These quiet reminders gently train the mind to return to trust.
A Deeper Reading Suggestion
"Wherever You Go, There You Are" — Jon Kabat-Zinn
This is one of the most accessible and profound introductions to mindfulness.
Many chapters touch on trusting the process — especially his teachings on non-doing, patience, and letting be.
Short quote from the book:
“You can’t make a flower grow by pulling on it. You can only give it the conditions to grow and let nature take its course.”
This is exactly the heart of trusting the process.
A Short Koan Practice
Koans are short Zen sayings or stories meant to help loosen our attachment to logical mind and invite insight.
Here’s a simple one:
"Sitting quietly, doing nothing,
Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."
How to practice with it:
Over time, this koan can open up layers of insight into what it means to allow life to unfold.
Return from: "How To Trust The Process Mindfully" to: Walking The Talk
Or to: How To Practise Mindfulness
Next Article:
How To Live With Contradiction - Beyond Thought Let Stillness Speak
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