It is a cool shiny Sunday morning here in Boulder. Soon I will head out on a run into the mountains. I look forward to the challenge of pushing myself to keep fit. That run is for my body and health. My mind also needs nurturing today and that will happen through the practice of mindfulness. The practice involves being mindful in whatever I am doing. This includes being mindful while I write this blog. Let me share more of this practice with you.
Mindfulness in the moment is what I will call this practice. It is a simple practice like most mindfulness exercises. In this method, I pay attention to what I am doing not matter what it is. It is as if I have an observer in me that follows along and just notes what I am doing. This practice brings me fully into the moment. It is simple but not easy because: the mind wants to buzz off in all kinds of directions and the ego dislikes being in the moment so it pushes me think about the past or the future.
Instead I bring my focus to whatever I am doing. If I am eating, I eat with awareness. If I am cleaning up my house, I do so with awareness. As I run, I do so with awareness. Running a rocky path is definitely a mindful practice or else I will trip and do a face plant. If I am cooking, I do it mindfully. If I am playing with Pax our dog, I do so with awareness. If I am brushing my teeth, taking a shower, going shopping, looking at art, or whatever, I do it mindfully.
This practice of mindfulness in the moment turns life into a meditation of eating, shopping, cleaning, exercising, loving, and all our doings. Even the rising and falling of emotions become just a drama I watch in mindfulness much like sitting down and watching me on TV except instead of being mindless, I am being mindful.
Here is a brief account of the mindfulness of the moment as I write this blog today. Pax is near by looking out the window hoping to see his friend Peaches. My wife is upstairs moving things around so we can clean later. The computers and equipment downstairs, where I am writing, are buzzing quietly. My left foot is sensitive to the floor underneath as part of my practice. My right ear itches and I scratch it. Pax’s dog tags jingle as he scratches. I drink a sip of Licorice Spice Tea. All of this is noticed as I am fully aware in the moment. And still the writing goes on as a testimony to being mindful and still being able to do what you want or need to do.
Now there is more banging going on upstairs and I must be going to see if I can help. Have a good Sunday and bring yourself fully into your life by being mindful.