In Between Moments: July 12 - 18
Last week I reflected on the importance of the present moment, the only place where life truly happens. This week, I reflect on the in between moments, which are equally important but are often overlooked. What do I mean by in between moments? It is the subtle pause between the inhale and the exhale. It is the the fraction of a second between one thought and the next. It is the silence between words. It is the being between the doing. These invisible and ignored spaces are a rich place to cultivate the art of awareness.
Two of my favorite in between moments are the very beginning and the very end of the day. I rarely set an alarm. Generally, I begin to stir with the morning light. While I'm still in bed and my eyes are closed, gradually awareness dawns. Maybe I remember a dream from the night before. Maybe I begin to remember the tasks ahead. But before I get too revved up, I say thank you for the new day and set an intention to walk kindly on the earth.
I do something similar at the other end of the day. I turn off my light, don my CPAP mask, and situate my head just so on the pillow. I take a couple intentional breaths as I silently whisper words of lovingkindness for myself and others. I set the intention to remember my dreams and to be curious about them. I believe planting seeds of awareness in the many small, quiet moments of the day results in unexpected opportunities for kindness and connection during the busiest parts.
Practice
Start paying more attention to the in between moments:
Alerts and Notifications
The next time your phone beeps or buzzes, before you automatically respond, pause for a brief moment to bring a sense of mindfulness into the interaction.
Conversations
Instead of planning what you intend to say as someone is speaking to you, look into their eyes, listen to the message underneath and between the words. Make space for silence before you speak.
To Do List
As you jump from activity to activity, from meeting to meeting, build in a moment to intentionally close out one thing, deliberately shifting the awareness before beginning the next thing with clarity and purpose.
Any Moment
When you feel overwhelmed by the demands of the day, tired from the unending doing, stop, place your hand on your heart, feel the rise and fall of the chest as you breathe, and remember the act of being in between all the doing.
Now
Close your eyes and watch your thoughts drift by like clouds in the sky. Notice when a thought first arises and takes shape. Observe its texture and feeling without reacting. Note when it dissolves and is replaced by the next thought. Pay particular attention to the gap between one thought and the next. Here is where you practice simply being.
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