“Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” – Sharon Saltzberg
With so many ways to practice current moment awareness, which do we choose and how do we remember to do it regularly? Some people make it an early morning practice, taking a seat and setting a timer first thing upon waking. There are so many potential benefits to this sort of commitment and regularity, setting a certain feeling tone in the nervous system before starting one’s day. Try it for a week or two, even 5 minutes each morning, and see what you see.
Another option is to pick something you do every day, like showering or brushing your teeth, and do that one thing will full awareness and non-judgement, bringing attention back to the present moment experience when you notice thoughts drift.
As tensions on our emotional and work lives escalated in recent weeks, we’ve started taking a pause as we sit down at the dining room table for dinner each night. 2-3 quiet breaths, eyes closed… For me, sometimes I don’t realize how I have been hungering for that pause until I am right there in it.
It doesn’t have to be a Herculean effort. Sometimes 2-3 breaths is enough.
– Jessica Stevens (writing mindfulness for Isabella)