A few weeks ago, I finished reading The Shaolin Spirit by Shi Heng Yi. It was a book I chose for reasons that had very little to do with spirituality and much more to do with nostalgia.
I remember watching television in the 1980s and being fascinated by the extraordinary skills of Shaolin monks. Their strength, balance and apparent mastery of both body and mind seemed almost superhuman. Decades later, curiosity led me back to that fascination and eventually to Shi Heng Yi’s book.
What struck me most was not the physical discipline. It was the repeated emphasis on awareness.
Throughout Shaolin teachings there is a focus on developing an enhanced awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings. Rather than constantly evaluating, judging or categorising experiences, practitioners are encouraged to observe. To notice. To take in information without immediately forming an opinion about it. This practice is presented not simply as a spiritual exercise but as a way of reawakening aspects of our attention that modern life often leaves dormant.
As I reflected on this idea, I realised how rare genuine noticing has become.
Many of us move through our days partially disconnected from the environments we inhabit. We walk while checking messages. We wait in queues while scrolling through social media. We sit in cafés without really seeing the people around us. Our attention is fragmented and constantly pulled towards screens designed to capture and hold it.
Research suggests that this constant competition for attention has consequences. Studies have found that smartphone use can reduce our awareness of our immediate surroundings and impair attentional performance, even when devices are not actively being used (Ward et al., 2017). Other researchers have observed that digital distractions can interfere with our ability to remain present and engaged with the world around us (Wilmer et al., 2017).
The irony is that while technology gives us access to more information than ever before, it can also reduce our capacity to fully experience the moment we are currently living in.
The Shaolin concept of noticing offers a different path. It invites you to;
Notice the changing colours of the sky on your journey home.
Notice the expressions on faces.
Notice the sounds in a room.
Notice the way your body feels after a long walk.
Notice the thoughts that arise without prompt.
This kind of awareness closely aligns with what psychologists describe as mindfulness, which involves intentionally paying attention to present moment experiences with openness and without judgement (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Research has consistently linked mindfulness practices with improvements in wellbeing, emotional regulation and attentional control (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Tang et al., 2015).
What I find particularly appealing is the simplicity of the idea.
Noticing does not require expensive equipment, specialist training or hours of dedicated practice. It simply asks us to pay attention.
When we become more aware of our surroundings, we often become more aware of ourselves. We start to recognise patterns in our behaviour. We become more attuned to what energises us and what drains us. We notice opportunities for connection that might otherwise pass us by.
In many ways, belonging begins with noticing.
We notice the people around us.
We notice communities that resonate with our values.
We notice moments of beauty, kindness and humanity that remind us we are part of something larger than ourselves.
We notice what others have to offer.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons the practice feels so relevant today. In a culture increasingly characterised by distraction, noticing becomes a small act of resistance. It is a way of reclaiming our attention and directing it towards the life unfolding directly in front of us.
Five Simple Ways to Practise the Art of Noticing
1. Leave your phone in your pocket
Choose one daily activity such as walking, commuting or waiting for a coffee and complete it without reaching for your phone. Observe what captures your attention instead.
2. Engage all your senses
Pause for a moment and consciously identify five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste. This simple exercise anchors attention in the present moment.
3. Practise observation without evaluation
When you notice something, resist the urge to immediately label it as good or bad. Simply acknowledge it and move on. This mirrors the non-judgemental awareness found in both mindfulness and Shaolin practice. Observe a tree for its form, without categorising or identifying it.
4. Take a different route
Whether walking through your neighbourhood or travelling to work, choose a slightly different path. Novel environments naturally encourage greater awareness and curiosity.
5. Create small pauses throughout the day
Before entering a meeting, starting your car or opening your laptop, take ten seconds to observe your surroundings. These brief moments can gradually strengthen your capacity for presence.
As I closed The Shaolin Spirit, I realised the lesson I would carry forward had little to do with martial arts and everything to do with attention.
The world around us is constantly offering details, experiences and connections that we overlook because we are looking elsewhere.
The art of noticing invites us to return.
Not to analyse, Not to judge, Not to react, Simply to notice.
And perhaps, in noticing more of the world around us, we may discover more of ourselves as well.
References
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological wellbeing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness based interventions in context: Past, present and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Shi, H. Y. (2024). The Shaolin spirit: How to harness the power of the mind and body to live a balanced life. Penguin Life.
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916
Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain drain: The mere presence of one’s own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140-154. https://doi.org/10.1086/691462
Wilmer, H. H., Sherman, L. E., & Chein, J. M. (2017). Smartphones and cognition: A review of research exploring the links between mobile technology habits and cognitive functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 605. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00605
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