Mindfulness Project

Do you have patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself? ~ Lao Tzu The most difficult time for me to sustain mindfulness is when I’m restless. It is hard to focus when your energy wants to be everywhere and nowhere. I tell myself it is enough to be aware of being restless, and that restlessness is neither bad nor good. Yet, I have never …

When it comes to shopping, mindfulness can seem like a wet blanket. I stumble across many items I want to purchase but by shopping mindfully I usually end up saying, “No.” It’s not that I’m an ascetic, but when mindful I’m also aware of how much I have to spend. Very annoying! Especially this time of year with all the good deals out there. I would love to buy lots of stuff for myself, for “my people,” plus cool stuff …

Perhaps I enjoy sacred geometry because geometry is the only type of math I was (am) good at. Sometimes I practice mindfulness using the sacred geometry cards I have, and although this would not be everyone’s cup of herbal tea, it might be yours. Sacred geometry refers to shapes, proportions, and patterns that regularly reoccur in nature. Many cultures throughout history have paid attention to the endless repetition of numerical relationships found in our natural world. These same relationships are …

The Thanksgiving holiday is like mindfulness practice. Both are a pause to take stock of “what is” and be thankful, or at least without judgment. For a brief time, wants and disappointments dissolve into an open and peaceful state of being. Many of us also stuff ourselves into a turkey-tryptophan stupor but, emptiness implies fulness. This holiday is not as much of a pause as previously. There was a time when all but essential services closed for the entire day; …

The first time I faced my un-mindfulness was after eating a piece of blueberry pie. I put my fork down and realized I had no memory of eating it. I had read about mindfulness previously, and what I read came back to smack me in the mouth. My pie-awakening left me with a soft spot for mindful eating. Aside from enjoying pie, losing weight, or managing blood sugar and cholesterol levels, what perks does mindful eating provide? I’d never given …

Non-acceptance of self can, alone, keep individuals from reaching goals and developing lasting relationships. How you think about yourself constantly affects your feelings and mood. Not accepting yourself can cancel-out the experience of happiness and joy. Acceptance of self does not mean you have to like everything you see. I tend to procrastinate and dislike that about myself. That doesn’t change the fact that I have been known to procrastinate. I accept this about myself because it’s true. Does being …

Come along on a simply stated tour of mindfulness through your brain. Learn what goes on in your gray matter when you focus your attention in the present. The tour guide uses a minimal amount of multi-syllabic freakishly foreign-sounding words. Just relax and be amazed. Your are seated on a pillow, preparing to practice mindfulness meditation. Or, you are at the office, virtual paperwork piled high, taking a few moments to relax. Or, you think about “getting away” from the …

Practicing mindfulness helps people accept themselves. It keeps the mind flexible and open to different perspectives. Because the mind is in the moment, it is not off comparing and evaluating to determine personal worth, nor is it formulating how to make ourselves appear better than we think we are. In mindfulness, we can be free from whatever label(s) we’ve glued to ourselves. (It’s a known fact that labels do not stick to a mindful state.) Since self-acceptance is a key …