Great advice from one of my dear friends today as I was laying on the couch with the dogs. It crossed my mind that I would like to be more focused as she uttered these words. It’s true! It was my Facebook status today and everything…
In yoga we call this Peaceful Abiding, seeing the mind as it naturally is, a way of being present as described and practiced by Buddhists.
Being in the moment: attention to the sensations of your body, the space that surrounds you, what’s going on deep inside, and perhaps even a connection to that which is greater. Let Go and Let God as the saying goes.
I think that this is much of what allures us to children. The nostalgia for our youth is connected to long past freedom to embrace each and every experience as fresh and new. It was our precocious tendencies that fueled our imaginations & taught us about our surroundings and ourselves. Every moment counted and we long to return to that. I do at least.
I forget and become consumed with tasks. It inevitable occurs to me that I have not sat in silence in a while and then I will return to my meditations. Great difficulty at first. I am shifty and distractible. I use the tools of breath and mantra and will finally come to a point of stillness. The moment I surrender I feel the healing beginning. Things come into focus and as my perspective shifts I understand and come into contact once again with my priorities. Arrived.
This Peaceful Abiding that shares itself with me in my mediations is what I work on weaving into the fabric of my daily wanderings. Being in the Moment. In my Adventure. I find that the celebration of Gratitude to be the most direct route to this lifestyle. Professions of Thanks. The Woo Hoo, the Yippee, and the YAY!!! Once I am able to observe one emotion, for me it’s the gratitude, I am able to observe an entire range. A technique I would encourage you to experiment with.
So back to the focus I was worrying over. I sat. Just observing. Breathing. Okay, I did doze off at one point true, but all in all the act of sitting today was all I needed in order to reconnect. In fact, I plan on doing it again before I hop into bed.
Be in your Adventure this day. Let yourself see the mind as it is. Allow your childlike curiosity to unfold before your very eyes.
Woo Hoo! Yippee! YAY!!!…
I didn’t want to meditate today. I just didn’t want to. I thought about this entry, before finally spending some time on the cushion. And I am grateful.