"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." - Rumi
How we do anything is how we do everything By Elizabeth Devereux Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier. – Dorothea Brande
What if you could have less stress and more living through the practice of mindfulness? Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose and without judgment, in the present moment. It allows us to move from one moment to the next with a sense of calm and mental clarity. Would your life be different if your experiences — from the mundane to the momentous — became opportunities to be more fully engaged, more fully you?
Just like you train your body, mindfulness trains the brain. Practicing purposeful awareness changes your brain over time, a phenomenon science calls neuroplasticity. Studies show people who practice this kind of awareness report greater happiness, well-being and relaxation, while those who don't show more activity in the brain regions associated with stress, anxiety and depression.
The great news: this kind of awareness is portable. No cushion, no special technique required — though for the more technologically inclined, apps like Mindfulness Bell can ring periodically through the day as a cue to pause and notice what you're doing, and what state of mind you're in while doing it.
In a mindfulness practice, we learn to ground our senses in real time — body, breath, sight, sound, touch, taste — noticing what's happening as it happens. Simple, though not easy, it's remarkably rewarding work, which is likely why it's becoming more mainstream.
It's worth considering the idea that how we do anything is how we do everything. Everyday "mindless" tasks — commuting, waiting in line, brushing teeth, doing the dishes — can become opportunities to practice being fully engaged.
What if a traffic jam became a chance to notice how resistance and reactive thinking lodge as tension in the body, coloring your mood and perceptions? One student, after several weeks of practice, described bending down to tie her shoe and suddenly realizing how much of her day she moves through on autopilot.
As we train our attention this way, we begin to notice the habitual chatter running in the background — "monkey mind," as it's called. You may start to see how mind states shape body states and moods, and vice versa — and how that interplay touches your health, relationships, and overall enjoyment of life.
Being mindful is a way of traveling, not a destination. Meeting the present moment as it actually is, without judgment, makes it come alive — more nuanced, more connected, more real. String enough of these moments together, and you may find yourself living a richer, more openhearted, more fully lived life.
For those interested in learning more, a course will be offered this fall over ten Sundays: Mindfulness Meditation Series, 4:15–5:15 p.m., September 20 to November 22. To register, call 706-579-0414. Elizabeth Devereux's work with groups and individuals is a vibrant, transformative fusion of tools and processes for greater health, joy, and possibility. She is known for her open-heartedness and her ability to distill and communicate ancient wisdom and modern consciousness paradigms in a fun, relatable way. Learn more @ peaceonearthinc.com
