What My Hand Taught Me
How can we be more mindful in our everyday lives? How does mindfulness open us us to see and alleviate our own suffering?
Hello and welcome everyone. In this week’s podcast we’re looking at how mindfulness operates in our everyday lives by examining it through the lens of our experience. So much of the time we operate under automatic pilot even when we think we are being mindful of the present moment.
I am delighted to let you know that beginning this week every Thursday, I will be posting a weekly guided meditation for members of the podcast. If you are already a member just go to the member page on Patreon to access the guided meditation. If you are not a member and would like to become one, sign up here or copy and paste the link https://www.patreon.com/yourmindfullife into your browser.
Your support is so important and I thank you with all my heart.
Being mindful in our everyday lives takes effort. We may practice meditation and have the intention of being mindful throughout the day and then what happens?
Our minds, instead of being here moment-to-moment, get busy and we begin leaning forward rushing from this to that. Congestion builds and tension and constriction arise as we lose spacious awareness. Concentration fizzles as the mind rushes here and there. Equanimity drifts away—we become reactive rather than even, balanced and non-judgmental. We forget to respond compassionately; instead we beat ourselves up. And, our emotional states instead of flowing through us, may start running the show.
All of this may be ,subtle… so subtle that we don’t realize it until something big happens that grabs our attention.
The big thing that happened that grabbed my attention was my hand. And what my hand taught me is what I share today. It taught me about suffering, concentration, equanimity, and compassion and how wisdom starts with mindfulness. I hope that my experience resonates with you and enlivens your mindfulness in your everyday life.
I so appreciate you and hope you are enjoying the podcast. In addition to your membership, you can support it by following or subscribing to the podcast, downloading the episodes and sharing them with friends and on social media. And, don’t forget to review the podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
I also grateful for the people behind the scenes who make this podcast possible.
Gorgias Romero for original music, audio engineering and production;
Bill Rafferty for technical web support;
Allie Allen for logo and podcast cover design; and
Margaret Haas for announcing the show
Be well. Be mindful.
CREDITS/RESOURCES
I would like to acknowledge my teacher, Joseph Goldstein, whose wise teachings have guided my practice for so many years and to who, I am so grateful. https://www.dharma.org/teacher/joseph-goldstein/
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.
