Landmark: Extended Witnessing

Landmark: Extended Witnessing
Beacons	Association
Realms	Engagement
Lenses	Witnessing
Guides	Doing Chores

The Landmark of Extended Witnessing asks whether you are able to experience a form of Witnessing for longer periods of time. This Landmark is within the Realm of Engagement, and is part of the Beacon of Association, more specifically the Lens of Witnessing.

Landmark Lookouts:

Understanding of Witnessing: Based on your practice, do you understand the goals and experience of Witnessing?
Experience Witnessing Readily: Can you slip into the mode of Witnessing whenever you intend to?
Prolonged Witnessing: When in a state of Witnessing can you maintain it (or at least shift back to it repeatedly) for more than a few minutes?

This is an example of a fairly complex task, but it involves repeating certain steps over and over, which is a chance to practice without judgement. If you find that you weren't able to stay mindful while taking one plate out, maybe you can for the next plate! Also, be sure to adapt these steps to how you personally like to empty the dishwasher, this might not be the way you do it.

Open the dishwasher and look at the dishes
Become as mindful as you know how
Without trying to choose, allow yourself to pick up one dish
Appreciate that you had no judgement or decision in which dish was picked up
Appreciate the number of complicated micromovements necessary to pick up a dish
Again, without any decision making, notice yourself walking to the cupboard
Appreciate that walking also takes no conscious decisions, even though there are many parts that come together to make walking possible
Continue on in this fashion until you find yourself back at the dishwasher, and appreciate the mindful nature of what you're doing
Keep practicing being more and more mindful each time you put away a dish, you shouldn't need any thoughts or impulses whatsoever
Once you are done take a moment to review the steps and concepts of Witnessing to appreciate what just happened