"Forever .. is composed of Nows"

Each Sunday evening .. after some pondering and tapping away .. I send out the Monday Meditation Musings. The email is designed to hit your inbox and give you an inspirational kick-start to your week .. provide a little meditative nourishment, a telling quote, maybe a different view of the potential in the week ahead. You can sign up for Monday Meditation Musings via the link in sidebar .. and I will try to post the entry here occassionally too!

Monday Meditation Musings : 11 Jan 2010

"Forever .. is composed of Nows"
(Emily Dickinson)

Having spent a few impromptu days down on the surf coast with only a vague plan of what may transpire, and the offer of a bed for the night .. made me realize again the importance of taking ourselves out of our usual 'routine' and embracing instead what change can offer us. Unencumbered by expectations, comparisons or should do's .. we have an opportunity to 'see' afresh, broaden our view of what might be possible, share new experiences and 'go with the flow'. Time takes on a different pace .. and we seem to live a heightened existence.
One of the gifts I have received from my meditation practice, is that often (outside of my actual meditation) time seems to stretch and expand. As I go about my day, have discussions, make decisions, do 'stuff' .. I am often aware of this 'pause' that allows me to take a moment to re-assess or re-view a situation before reacting or moving forward. Like slowing down the play on a televised tennis match, slowing down in life can provide us with a 'pause' so that we can catch up with our life .. and re-connect on a much deeper and more satisfying level.

To deliberately slow down and pay attention on purpose to the present moment .. is known as living mindfully. When we remove the auto-pilot and tune in to the moment of NOW .. we gain a greater awareness of self, of our senses, our body and our minds. In developing our awareness and awakening our senses, we find our mind starts to slow down and in that space we find a calmness and peacefulness.

"Mindfulness is a certain way of paying attention that is healing, that is restorative, that is reminding you of who you actually are so that you don't wind up getting entrained into being a human doing rather than a human being." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

Each day this week choose a simple mundane chore .. like brushing your teeth, washing the dishes or getting dressed, and consciously perform the activity as if in SLOW MOTION.

See how slow you can perform the task without expectation or sense of hurrying to finish. Focus on each micro movement involved .. if washing the dishes, notice the warm soapy water filling up the sink, noticing the sound of the water moving, placing your hands into the gloves or dipping your hands into the slippery water, notice the pace at which you wash the dishes, and notice where your mind is as you do the dishes.

Open your experience to all the sensations around you in this moment .. the smells, the sounds, the textures, the visuals, the colours, the changing light .. keeping your mind focussed on the task at hand which anchors you to the present moment.

What is your breathing like? what is your posture like?

Mindfulness is taking the time to experience all that belongs to the present moment .. the nows!