Mindfulness has been explained to me as being in the present moment. That’s definitely something I need to work on. Far too often, my mind jumps to what I believe should be done next, or how I should be feeling, or how my life should be. Should, should, should. I’m so focused on should that I can’t address what is.
So basically, mindfulness is the exact opposite of where I am. How do I get there from here?
Fortunately, there are a lot of resources available. I was fortunate enough to attend a NMSS conference last weekend with multiple speakers addressing mindfulness. Another stroke of luck – I live near Duke Integrative Medicine, which has a number of programs and workshops that could help me explore mindfulness.
There are also some at-home options. There are a number of mindfulness books available. The one recommended to me is called Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk. I’m just over halfway through the book right now. In the first half of the book, I liked the simple breathing exercises presented. On the other hand, I had trouble reconciling the mindfulness practice suggested with the life I’m living. Sure, if you’re eating a meal in a monastery with other monks, mindful eating can be a simple, joyful practice. But when you the other people in your household are not studying mindfulness, and some of them are too young to really grasp the concepts, mindful meals seem like a wish than a reality. I’ve just started digging into the second section of the book, and so far, the techniques offered seem practical and reasonable.
There are also great online options. One I’m enjoying exploring is Simple Mindfulness. Not only is the 0ngoing content interesting, but Paige Burkes also offers three free guides to help you on your journey.
Mindfulness is a journey, not necessarily a destination. I’ve taken a few baby steps.
