Mindfulness

“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.” – Bob Marley

For many of us, the sound of our morning alarm is like a starting pistol. We hop out of bed, race through our morning routine, and jet out the door. Between commitments and tasks, appointments and emails, the average day can feel like a sprint.

We are told the faster we go, the more we will get done. But eventually, this chaotic pace will leave us stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted. When we rush mindlessly, we tend to miss details, make mistakes, and fail to enjoy the process.

?A few years ago, I was driving from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park, about a 3-hour drive. Rather than choosing to slow down and enjoy the magnificent mountains around me, I chose to go 80 MPH so that we could get to our destination sooner. As a result, I was awarded a $280 speeding ticket. In choosing to rush through life as opposed to enjoying the journey, mistakes were made and I failed to enjoy the process.

?Sometimes by slowing down, we go further. More importantly, this gradual pace allows us to savor each step along the journey.

?Decelerating is difficult because of the speed of our modern culture. It is in the interest of modern society to promote the things that take the edge off, to keep us slightly numbed out and zombie like. Our entire modern consumer society itself functions with an addictive personality. There is a kind of speed and dizziness that takes us away. And when we stop, we face the truth of the insecurity of things, the unfinished business of the heart, running away from pain. We may not be living our own values, and the pain of this misalignment will come up when we take our own life as the focus of mindfulness and presence. AND, it also works miracles because awareness is big enough to hold all of humanity, the ocean of tears as well as the unbearable beauty of life. Meet all that comes with a spaciousness and trust, and ?this then becomes the invitation to freedom and joy and ease and care for ourselves and the world!

Mindfulness is defined as a focus on our present experience, an ability to be fully present in body, mind and Spirit. It is a nonjudgmental caring attention, here and now. What's great about mindfulness is that it is helpful in your work, with your kids, in relation to your body, love making, gardening, creative arts, in athletics, in community and in education and healing! More importantly, as Jack Kornfield states, "mindfulness teaches us how to live fully, and how to die well." With the training of attention and mindfulness, we cultivate greater resilience, stability and ability to concentrate, but there is something deeper – it is also an invitation into that which is sacred.

?For the rest of the week, check in periodically with your pace. Notice the tempo of your movements, heart rate, and breath. If you feel a rushed tension, slow your breath and quiet your thoughts. Let go of all the striving. All the efforts. Just rest. In this state, we lose all greed for attaining anything, and all fear of not. Bring full awareness to the pleasure of whatever you catch yourself doing. Do this often.

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Enjoy what comes of today!?