Day 3

"Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it." -Sharon Salzberg

  Before looking for a quote for today's post, I was thinking about how hard it is to be mindful. This morning I was eating again before I even realized what I was doing. I was fixing brunch and decided to have a bowl of fruit with some bacon, egg and a bagel. I prepared the fruit first - a banana and orange. I then proceeded to cook the rest of my breakfast. By the time my egg was finished my banana was gone! Oops! Also, this morning I was at the salon getting my hair done. About halfway through, after making a mental list of what I was going to do when finished with my hair appointment and thinking about what I needed at the store, I caught myself and thought - "this is an opportunity to be mindful." In both of these situations, it wasn't difficult to be mindful once I recognized what I was doing. For me, however, remembering to be in the moment is my challenge. 

 

While a challenge for me, living mindfully, I can see already it is worth learning and practicing. While at the salon, once I quit making my mental list, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the blow dryer, and relaxed into this moment of someone taking care of me. It was nice! Very relaxing! In fact, I almost fell asleep. 

A tip I have read for practicing mindfulness is to focus on your breathing. Sense the flow of your breath. When your mind wanders, simply bring it back to focusing on your breathing.