Purposefully being aware of the now
Simply being, breathing, and observing.
Being as you are, breathing as you need, and observing what is happening.
The Quiet of the High Desert – Mindful Foliage
Mindfulness is the sort of thing you can practice almost anywhere, anytime.
Mindfulness is simply purposefully paying attention to the now. And often now there will be a spiel about how you aren’t to think about the past or the future, but let’s be honest – it’s going to happen outside of your control. When it does, acknowledge the thought – maybe you’ll think it later – and return to the present moment. It’s not quite about being mindful of the present (though that certainly helps!), it’s instead about being mindful of where you direct your attention.
Mindfulness is certainly a practice. It’s not something to ever truly master. You will become better at it if you work at it, but your mind will always be capable of sprouting an unbidden thought. You will always have the ability to have a negative emotion, or to dislike something. As we become more mindful people, we grant ourselves a sort of step back from the situation. We can observe what’s going on, and even observe how we are responding. Then, with practice, the mind can be in a space where these observations grant us time to decide what path to follow. Mindfulness grants us a bit of space from our emotions, so that we aren’t constantly under their sway.
Mindfulness and meditation are the start of a long journey. I hope your find your journey enlightening.
Mindful Gardening
I’ve been a long-time meditator. Going through the various lockdowns and shutdowns recently has given me ample time to explore this aspect of life. Mindful gardening became quite a serious draw during those times, and has become a regular part of my daily Sadhana since. I’m certain that a multitude of people practice this form of mindfulness every day. Perhaps, wonderfully, they don’t even put a name to it. They just experience it as it is.
I have a desire to spread mindful gardening to more people that may be stuck inside for one reason or another – and other forms of nature mindfulness for those venturing outdoors. Plants are ever-changing bundles of happiness that allow us to observe all the stages of life. We can observe how the seedling breaks through the soil, and how the soil crackles when it drinks water. There’s more than enough to pay attention to.
In an effort to teach this particular flavor of mindfulness, I’ve gone ahead and started the long journey of becoming a lifelong meditation teacher. I acquired my certification after much study, and work daily to practice what I teach. Please bookmark this page or subscribe if you’d like to be updated in the future. If you have any questions, feel free to email me or send a message through the form below.
Mindful Foliage 