One of the main complaints I hear from people about meditation is that they either do not have the time or the patience to just sit to meditate. In this day and age, we are all busy, but sometimes even five minutes in the morning, sitting up in bed and just observing the breath can be the start of a daily meditation practice. It is not a question about not having the time, but making it.
But even if you are not someone who can sit still for some time, there are ways you can make your everyday life a meditative and spiritual experience. I am structuring this topic into two sections, one with every day activities and how to make them a meditative experience, and the second one about mindfulness and human interactions.
Everyday actions can be a meditative experience - just be mindful of what you are doing
As the image above states, being with what we do at any given moment is a mindfulness meditation practice. If you are like me, your mind is constantly somewhere else, thinking of the past or planning for the future, hardly ever present where we are and what we do. While we sit in meditation practice, we are observing the breath as we are breathing in and out without controlling it, just watching it. And if a thought comes up, we notice it, and gently release it and bring our attention back to the physical experience of breathing. If you cannot sit still to just observe your breath, here are some suggestions on how to practice mindfulness meditation in different ways with every day things we do.
Mindful Walking and Standing
As you walk from one place to your destination, if you can, slow down a bit, and become aware of the subtle movements involved in walking.
Standing still, it starts with shifting your weight onto one leg while lifting the other, a shift in the hips, a bend in the knees, the foot touching the ground and another shift of weight, as the other heel starts lifting.
Become aware of the ground under your feet, your breathing pattern while you walk or your arm movements, you can shift your attention between those.
Be aware of where you are, looking around you, seeing the details of buildings, plants and humans.
Smile and look at the reaction of others. If your mind wanders, as best as you can bring it back to that present moment experience.
When you are standing in a line at the grocery store or somewhere else. Just be aware of the sensation of standing and shifting your weight from one leg to the other, observing your breath, being aware of who is in front of you and who is behind you, and what is going on in your mind. Are you being impatient? Let it go.
Mindful Eating
In a busy day, we usually do many things while we are eating and hardly ever are present with what we eat. We do not chew enough which causes digestive problems. First step is to not read, watch tv or be on the computer while you are eating so you can bring your full attention to your experience of eating. I will illustrate how to be mindful of eating an apple.
Feel the apple with your hand, look at its colors, its skin, its dents and form and how it fits into your hands
Smell it and see what happens in your mind and mouth.
Touch the apple with your lips and again observe what happens in you mind and mouth.
Take a bite but do not chew yet, and just explore the taste and the texture of the apple with the tongue in your mouth.
Start chewing and be aware of how the texture and the taste changes with every chew.
Chew a lot.
Once you are ready to swallow, be mindful how the bite reaches the stomach.
Try this with chocolate and you will see how this can change your eating experience into bliss!
This practice also increases the nutrients that actually enters the body.
Other daily mindful practice ideas
- mindful showering: feel the sensation of water on your body, temperature and all, rather than thinking about the day ahead
- mindful driving: turn off the radio, be aware of where you are on the road, your surroundings, the car in front and behind you. Let go of wanting to not sit in traffic but see the red lights as reminders to pause and breathe, to be in the moment.
- mindful house cleaning: When I vacuum clean, I focus on the movement of the vacuum and how I cover every inch of the floor, being aware if my mind wanders, gently bringing it back to the present activity. Cleaning the dishes is another good one, being aware of the temperature of the water, the texture of the dish and how the stains disappear.
- mindful cooking/making a cup of tea mindfully: This starts with the process of preparing the ingredients, boiling/baking, and then eating/drinking.
- mindful gardening: great opportunity to connect with nature more deeply. You can also do that by repotting a houseplant.
