Minding the Moments

A reflection on mindfulness practice

It’s a new day

I wake up and the mind begins with all its chatter.

Some of that chatter is downright negative. 

I pause.

I really pause. 

I ask myself, how do I want this day to begin?

I decide to take a breath and relax the body.

I whisper to myself, “I am happy for this life that is here.”

I place my feet on the floor and look around.

“I am grateful for these four walls, this comfortable bed, the air that gently blows, keeping me cool.”

I begin the walk to the kitchen, where I turn on the coffee. 

I pause.

I really pause.

“I am grateful for this coffee, the smell, the taste, the reminder of a new day.”

With each of these moments, the conditioned mind wants to run the show, wants to put a negative spin on the moment. “Why isn’t life better, different, more peaceful, less difficult?” This voice that asserts without proof of what it utters goes on and on and on. And, in each moment if I pause, I have a choice.

The pause IS the practice.

This choice IS the practice.

The choice is to indulge it, let it take me along for the ride, or practice mindfulness. Practice is bringing nonjudgmental awareness to each moment. 

Moment by moment, we bring awareness to these gaps. There is always a gap after a thought. 

It is the practice to notice these gaps, and to choose a new response. 

This IS practice. 

There is nothing sexy, mind blowing, earth shattering about it. 

Changing our autopilot takes consistent effort for many years.

It gets better and better along the way for sure. But it takes time and it takes determination. This effort takes the shape of a new compassionate voice. This new voice also contains awareness. 

This awareness notices the negative tendencies and sees them for what they are…conditioning.

We will never change our prior conditioning but we can be aware of its presence in this moment. And with this awareness, we invite this little tiny nascent voice to speak.

“Right now, I choose to love myself and fully accept the life that is here, just as it is.”

This is minding the moment. 

This is mindfulness practice.