Doorway: January 8 - 14

While the mind often dwells in the past or worries about the future, the body is always in the present. The breath connects us to the body and thus can be an entryway into the present moment. I once heard it said that instead of calling this practice “mindfulness,” we should really call it “bodyfulness.” I agree. Who knew the body and the breath could free me from living in my head all the time?

Consider for a moment what an amazing thing the breath is. It can be controlled, it can be involuntary but it is always accessible to us. Each breath is a new opportunity to become conscious of the body and an invitation to the here and now.

Practice

Settle into a period of meditation by focusing on the breath to arrive. Take three deliberate breaths, maybe the first mindful breaths of the day. Allow the breath to be slow and steady. A calm breath signals to the body a sense of safety and wellbeing. Place a hand on the chest and a hand on the belly to feel the rise and fall of the breath, to connect breath and body. Be in the present moment. Whenever thoughts and feelings arise in the mind, shift the attention back to the breath. Come back to the present moment again and again. Whether you follow the breath for a few seconds, a few minutes, or a half hour, each and every time you return to the here and now, it is a moment of mindfulness.