Mindful Living

Life can be a meditation if living is done mindfully and with intention in each moment.  According to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, meditation expert, “mindfulness is the practice of experiencing reality in the present moment through awareness”.  This requires slowing down and being fully present in the here and now.  We often get caught in the stories cycling in our minds about past events or thinking about the future.  We can learn from the past, but it is gone and does not serve us to dwell there.  Thinking about the future can be helpful for the purpose of planning, however can create fear and anxiety regarding the unknown.  The future is not reality and has not yet happened.  The present, the moment of here and now as it is experienced, is the only moment that is real.

One can experience great peace and acceptance by living in the present moment.  There are many gifts and much beauty missed in the present moment because we can find ourselves identifying with the stories played out in our minds regarding the past and/or future.  This is part of the human condition and there is no reason for self-judgment as the purpose of the mind is for thinking.  Over-identification with our thoughts can be counterproductive as they are often driven by emotion and based upon opinions and judgments rather than on reality.  Getting out of our minds and fully living in our bodies through experiencing can be liberating.  In upcoming blogs I’ll explain the benefits of meditation and give tips on how to begin a meditation practice.