Start Where You Are
Maybe you’re thinking, “I want to live more mindfully but I am going through a lot right now. My plate is full. I don’t have time or space now so maybe later on when things are better.” Or perhaps you feel like this, “My family needs me right now; I don’t have time for meditation.” Or maybe you feel you can’t do anything that is new, scary, or unknown.
Today we’re exploring how to begin living mindfully.
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How do we start to live mindfully? One minute at a time. We start with being aware—being present with the breath. What people don’t realize about mindfulness is that we already have everything we need to be mindful. We have all the time we need and we have everything we need right now. We know how to be aware. We are already breathing. We know how to sit and how to walk. And, I also hear you possibly saying, “She’s crazy. It’s just not so.”
In today’s podcast I take you through how it is so.. how right now, you can start where you are. This is not to say that is is always easy. As my teacher Joseph Goldstein reminds us, “It’s simple but not always easy.” It’s not always easy because the brain loves repetition. We think what we think over and over. We do what we do do over and over. Even when these don’t feel good, we do them again and again. They are familiar, we know them, and we already know how they feel.
Starting where we are allows us to start with what’s getting in the way. There is no use trying to be present with the breath if something else is there taking up all the space. So, what do we do, we turn towards that and we are present with that. There’s no use starting sitting with the breath if the body wants to move. There is use in pausing and experiencing what's happening right now. There is use in asking little mindful questions. I’ll show you how.
Be present with your breath now. You have this one minute. It is yours each day. Savor it by simply being present with the breath. Remember you don’t even need to close your eyes. Sit down and feel the body sitting. Walk and feel the body walking. Now feel the body breathing. Be present with each breath—it is here whether or not your are aware of it. Simply be aware of it. See how it goes and let me know. You have the time and space. You have everything you need.
I hope you enjoy the show. As always, I am grateful to you, my audience, for showing up, for listening, and for living a mindful life, one breath at a time. And I am also grateful for the people behind the scenes who make this podcast possible.
Allie Allen for logo and podcast cover design;
Gorgias Romero for original music, audio engineering and production;
Bill Rafferty for technical web support; and
Margaret Haas for announcing the show.
Be well. Be mindful.
DISCLAIMER
The content in the podcast and on this webpage is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice and guidance of your health professional.
