I finished a Mindful Based Stress Reduction program and Duke recently.
It sounded interesting and I wondered if it was just a review for me on meditation or how pay attention more and slow down a bit. It seems that everyone including me is always in such a rush.
The first night was fascinating I gained a real eyeful about myself and my speed – not only in the things I do, but in how I think.
I’ve meditated in the past on and off so it wasn’t difficult for me to sit quietly for a few minutes to “settle down”. But when I began to bring this mindful practice into other things during the day, it was then I realized that I was only slowing down while I meditated and then resumed full speed when I was done.
It occurs to me now that the behavior seems rather redundant.
To be mindful, means to bring awareness to each thing I am doing throughout the day, so as to not miss any part of my life. How many times have you driven somewhere, only to get there and not remember the trip?! I realize that
going through life this way IS missing the journey – isn’t the journey what your life is all about?
So with this in mind, I have decided it is a practice that I must embrace so I can truly live each moment of my life. Time is far too precious to miss anything.
Each moment – this includes eating. I can attest that I had not taken time during meals to embrace what was before me – to look at it and notice the different textures of the food, the colors, the aromas, the sounds and the arrangements of the food before me. Perhaps noticing where it came from (hopefully not a can) – maybe think of the seeds that were planted, the harvesting of the item, the processing to package it – the people who have participated in the food reaching me. And yes the preparation of the food –whether in the restaurant or in my own kitchen.
Then to take a bit and feel it in my mouth, experiencing the tastes on the different parts of my tongue. To do this is quite interesting. It opens up a whole world of what we experience at mealtime.
So – in my quest to develop this proficiency, I have found that it is indeed a skill! Imagine just to sit and enjoy the quiet, your breath, your swelling abdomen as your breathe in, embracing each moment as you are right now, right here. It is quite profound. Not only at mealtimes, but in each moment you live.
How much do we miss in our lives while we are busy getting to the next task?
Hmm….. it is now that I find myself not missing a thing. Each moment is a blessing.