Heartwings Love Notes          

 

 

Heartwings Love Notes 866 - Mindfulness is a Useful Practice

Heartwings says, "There are many ways to practice mindfulness."

Have you ever hit the wrong key on your computer or even your cell phone and had something you have been working hard on disappear? How frustrating that is! The worst part of the experience is that you probably don't know what you did wrong. If you are fortunate you can go backward to retrieve what is lost. Many times that may not work. It helps to be mindful while working with machinery of all kinds to avoid accidents. In my experience computers and cell phones are excellent teachers of mindfulness by way of practice.

All one needs to do to practice mindfulness is to pay attention. Meditation is helpful, however, it is what happens after you get up and go about your day that really makes the difference. Most of us, those who do not have the luxury of sitting with a teacher, spiritual leader, or in an ashram or other spiritual place, would find it useful to include the practice of meditation in our daily lives. For me that means stopping whatever I'm doing and sitting still for twenty minutes.

I sit down with Stephen, set the timer and spend twenty minutes bringing my mind back from its usual wanderings. They include thinking about what I need to do next, what I might have forgotten to do, the letter I mean to write, etc. When I notice I've drifted, I need bring my mind back. Then it all begins again. I use my breath as a point of focus and visualize a burst of light. That keeps my mind steady until I drift off again. Some days are easier than others. However, it is not what I accomplish in those twenty minutes that makes this worth doing; it's the ability to pay attention that that I gain for the rest of the minutes in my day.

As I get older I find that it is more and more important to focus on just what I'm doing or trying to do at any given moment. When I don't I make foolish mistakes, lose my way or my keys, and waste time trying to fix what I messed up when my mind wandered. This is why I am grateful for my computer as well as my cell phone that give me so much helpful practice in keeping my focus. Thus I am less likely to trip over the stray shoe in my path or the lose track of the item I may otherwise misplace. Being absent of mind gets easier with age. The practice of mindfulness is a wonderful hedge against that pitfall.

Whether or not you meditate, may you be able to practice paying attention.

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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