Coming to a place of mindfulness is really about bringing our awareness into the present. So often we are physically present, but mentally somewhere completely different.
When we are connected to our body, thorough mindful breath or mindful walking, we are connected with the present. We are able to do anything with mindfulness; mindful driving, washing up, parenting, speech, cooking.
Try this simple exercise.
Breathing in
I breathe in with full awareness
Breathing out
I breathe out with full awareness
Or:
While doing an activity like cleaning your teeth:
I am aware of my hand touching the toothbrush
I am aware of the feeling of the toothpaste in my mouth
I am aware of the brush rubbing my front teeth, now the pressure on my back teeth
I am aware of the saliva leaving my glands
I am aware of a desire to spit
I am aware of the cold water rinsing my mouth
What other forms of meditation have you found useful?
Reference: Thich Nhat Hanh. (2014). No Mud, No Lotus. Parallax Press: Berkeley, California. p. 62.
