These days there’s a lot of talk about mindfulness. The standard definition is something like this: living in the present moment without judgment.
I think most people are scratching their heads wondering what that really means. Or they’re thinking mindfulness is some hedonist thing. Live for today because we could all be dead tomorrow.
Let me try to clarify what mindfulness is.
It’s about paying attention to the moment you’re in right now without judging it. We call this the present moment. The problem for most of us is that we often squeeze out the present moment by worrying and planning for the future or reminiscing and regretting the past.
So, how do we bring all of our attention to the present moment? We stop and follow our breathing. When we pay attention to our breath, our bodies and minds connect. Then we allow ourselves to become aware of our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings.
The capacity for awareness in the present moment is available to each of us because it’s inherent within us. We just need to be willing to pause.
Mindfulness is not something we do; rather it’s a way that we are.
