“Everything real is in the present moment. Only here can we find happiness and harmony, feel alive and do something that will change our future. Only here can we be with the people we love, enjoy the things we like and see beautiful places.” ― Lidiya K., This Moment
The term “mindfulness” is accepted in various Buddhist traditions, as well as in many modern-day spiritual teachings. Basically, it means to live consciously in the moment; in the Now.
In his book “Stillness Speaks,” the German author Eckhart Tolle[i] says: “On the surface it seems that the present moment is only one of many, many moments. Each day of your life appears to consists of thousands of moments where different things happen. Yet if you look more deeply, is there not only one moment, ever? Is life ever not ‘this moment?’ This one moment—Now—the only thing you can never escape from, the one constant factor in your life. No matter what happens, no matter how much your life changes, one thing is certain: it's always Now. Since there is no escape from the Now, why not welcome it, become friendly with it?”
Numerous scientific explorations have proven that the value of mindfulness for overall physiological and psychological well-being of people could be immense.
It is very nicely described in Wikipedia: “The practice of Mindfulness involves being aware, moment-to-moment, of one’s subjective conscious experience from a first-person perspective. When practicing mindfulness, one becomes aware of one’s ‘stream of consciousness’. The skill of mindfulness can be gradually developed using meditational practices that are described in detail in the Buddhist tradition. (…) The term ‘mindfulness’ is derived from the Pali-term ‘sati’ which is an essential element of Buddhist practice, including vipassana, satipaṭṭhāna and anapanasati. It has been popularized in the West by Jon Kabat-Zinn with his mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. (…) Clinical studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general, and MBSR in particular. Programs based on MBSR and similar models have been widely adapted in schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans’ centers, and other environments.”[ii]
James Baraz has also beautifully described it: “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”
Mindfulness dissolves your inner conflicts softly and almost imperceptibly. It ultimately leads to a permanent state of expanded consciousness which is similar or identical to the state labeled in this book as Presence. However, in this book, and especially in this section, the words “mindful,” “present” and “aware” are interchangeable.
Another important note is that when you are present, you may actually be centered in your Heart. In fact, when you are experiencing the world from the Heart, you are deeply mindful, really present here-and-now. It’s also possible that you are present without any particular anchor, existing and observing the reality as a non-local consciousness, but still, even in that case, your observing mind with its senses are subtly connected to your Heart, which is your direct channel to the non-local consciousness.
For that reason, you will never make a mistake if you swiftly do the Moving to the Heart (MH) technique in any situation you find yourself in, and start observing your world from the Heart. Centered at the Heart, all your actions will be perfectly appropriate for that particular situation, as is the case with doing anything from the state of non-local consciousness. So, all triggers and approaches I will be presenting you in this “Mindfulness” section lead either to the sublime state of non-local awareness or to the state of being centered in the Heart (which is ultimately the same).
How does one experience everything from the Heart?
Well, it’s the most natural way of perceiving reality. The problem is that we aren’t used to that mode of experiencing the world. If we find it difficult or unfathomable to be centered in the Heart, which is often the case at the beginning of the practice, we just have to feel the Heart. Sense the Heart area within your body as much as you can. As you feel your Heart for a while, you will eventually start perceiving your reality from it. You will find yourself centered in the Heart. Try to stay in that state as long as possible, but don’t feel you have to force it; just stay and enjoy it.
Whether you feel centered in the Heart or you are in a state of pure non-local consciousness, you will be at perfect harmony with the world; your body will move lightly and flawlessly; your mind will function impeccably whenever needed, and all your actions will be done in the most effective way. Thus, if you drop a thing or stumble upon something unexpectedly, it is a clear message from your divine core: awaken, be present, feel your Heart.
In order to increase awareness in everyday life and make it stable, I suggest you make a list of your typical activities during the day, with small characteristic details or brief actions within them. Those details shall be your triggers for becoming present in the here and now. This will be your mindfulness list for setting up the triggers.
The triggers could be, for example, walking along a usual path, cleaning teeth, opening or closing the door, sitting down or getting up from a chair, arriving at a specific location or even thinking a particular thought. You can actually make anything a trigger.
Now you will be introduced to some of the most common daily activities, along with possible triggers that you could use in these situations for “waking up,” and with detailed explanation on how to maintain and develop your awareness.
[i] Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle; official site: https://www.eckharttolle.com/
[ii] Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
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The term “mindfulness” is accepted in various Buddhist traditions, as well as in many modern-day spiritual teachings. Basically, it means to live consciously in the moment; in the Now.
In his book “Stillness Speaks,” the German author Eckhart Tolle[i] says: “On the surface it seems that the present moment is only one of many, many moments. Each day of your life appears to consists of thousands of moments where different things happen. Yet if you look more deeply, is there not only one moment, ever? Is life ever not ‘this moment?’ This one moment—Now—the only thing you can never escape from, the one constant factor in your life. No matter what happens, no matter how much your life changes, one thing is certain: it's always Now. Since there is no escape from the Now, why not welcome it, become friendly with it?”
Numerous scientific explorations have proven that the value of mindfulness for overall physiological and psychological well-being of people could be immense.
It is very nicely described in Wikipedia: “The practice of Mindfulness involves being aware, moment-to-moment, of one’s subjective conscious experience from a first-person perspective. When practicing mindfulness, one becomes aware of one’s ‘stream of consciousness’. The skill of mindfulness can be gradually developed using meditational practices that are described in detail in the Buddhist tradition. (…) The term ‘mindfulness’ is derived from the Pali-term ‘sati’ which is an essential element of Buddhist practice, including vipassana, satipaṭṭhāna and anapanasati. It has been popularized in the West by Jon Kabat-Zinn with his mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. (…) Clinical studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general, and MBSR in particular. Programs based on MBSR and similar models have been widely adapted in schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans’ centers, and other environments.”[ii]
James Baraz has also beautifully described it: “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”
Mindfulness dissolves your inner conflicts softly and almost imperceptibly. It ultimately leads to a permanent state of expanded consciousness which is similar or identical to the state labeled in this book as Presence. However, in this book, and especially in this section, the words “mindful,” “present” and “aware” are interchangeable.
Another important note is that when you are present, you may actually be centered in your Heart. In fact, when you are experiencing the world from the Heart, you are deeply mindful, really present here-and-now. It’s also possible that you are present without any particular anchor, existing and observing the reality as a non-local consciousness, but still, even in that case, your observing mind with its senses are subtly connected to your Heart, which is your direct channel to the non-local consciousness.
For that reason, you will never make a mistake if you swiftly do the Moving to the Heart (MH) technique in any situation you find yourself in, and start observing your world from the Heart. Centered at the Heart, all your actions will be perfectly appropriate for that particular situation, as is the case with doing anything from the state of non-local consciousness. So, all triggers and approaches I will be presenting you in this “Mindfulness” section lead either to the sublime state of non-local awareness or to the state of being centered in the Heart (which is ultimately the same).
How does one experience everything from the Heart?
Well, it’s the most natural way of perceiving reality. The problem is that we aren’t used to that mode of experiencing the world. If we find it difficult or unfathomable to be centered in the Heart, which is often the case at the beginning of the practice, we just have to feel the Heart. Sense the Heart area within your body as much as you can. As you feel your Heart for a while, you will eventually start perceiving your reality from it. You will find yourself centered in the Heart. Try to stay in that state as long as possible, but don’t feel you have to force it; just stay and enjoy it.
Whether you feel centered in the Heart or you are in a state of pure non-local consciousness, you will be at perfect harmony with the world; your body will move lightly and flawlessly; your mind will function impeccably whenever needed, and all your actions will be done in the most effective way. Thus, if you drop a thing or stumble upon something unexpectedly, it is a clear message from your divine core: awaken, be present, feel your Heart.
In order to increase awareness in everyday life and make it stable, I suggest you make a list of your typical activities during the day, with small characteristic details or brief actions within them. Those details shall be your triggers for becoming present in the here and now. This will be your mindfulness list for setting up the triggers.
The triggers could be, for example, walking along a usual path, cleaning teeth, opening or closing the door, sitting down or getting up from a chair, arriving at a specific location or even thinking a particular thought. You can actually make anything a trigger.
Now you will be introduced to some of the most common daily activities, along with possible triggers that you could use in these situations for “waking up,” and with detailed explanation on how to maintain and develop your awareness.
[i] Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle; official site: https://www.eckharttolle.com/
[ii] Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness
(SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE)
Immediately After Waking Up
“Let the breath lead the way.” ― Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
Possible trigger: the very act of opening your eyes.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, become fully mindful of your breathing with the very act of first opening your eyes. Feel the air as it enters your nose and lungs, as well as when it goes out from them. Try being mindful in this way for a few minutes. This will clear up your mind and could positively influence your whole day ahead, giving you fresh energy and necessary focus.
Morning Routines
“No ideals. No illusions. Just reality—but more perfect than you’ve ever imagined. That’s what being mindful and living in the present means.” ― Lidiya K., This Moment
Possible triggers: putting toothpaste onto your brush; putting the shaving foam on your face; switching on the shaver; touching various parts of your body while taking a shower.
The very act of squeezing toothpaste onto your toothbrush could trigger your mindfulness. When you “wake up” into the Presence, slow down every movement and try to maintain the awareness of every motion of the brush inside your mouth; sense mindfully the friction between the brush and teeth with gums. Feel the movements of your hand. Enjoy mindfully every motion.
When it comes to a shaving routine, the act of putting the foam onto your face could elicit your awareness, or the action of switching on a shaving device. Maintain awareness of every movement of the brush or shaver on your skin. Slow down each motion.
As with all other morning routines, taking a shower could also be amazingly enjoyable when you are present. As you initially touch any part of your body with your hand, let that act trigger your Presence. Keep up with this awareness as long as possible. Be mindful of every part of your body and its motions, of every stream of water rushing onto it. Enjoy the sense of this bathing in freshness, while being fully aware of every moment and everything that comes to your attention. Slow down everything and delight in your Presence.
Meals and Drinks
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Possible triggers: the act of chewing or swallowing; preparing meals, tea, coffee or juice; the act of taking up a spoon, fork, cup or glass and bringing it to your mouth.
Let these triggers initiate your mindful eating or drinking. Feel mindfully all your motions during the meals: the movements of your hands, tools, your tongue, mouth, gut, and all other sensations. Smell thoroughly the meal from time to time. Enjoy its taste. At the same time try to maintain the awareness of your own Presence. Eat slowly and immerse yourself completely in the Now.
When you are drinking, first be mindful of bringing the cup or glass full of liquid to your mouth. Sense its weight, determine how cool or hot the cup is. Smell the coffee or tea deeply before the act of drinking. Feel the liquid in your mouth: its taste, its passage down your throat. Experience fully all subsequent motions of your hand, mouth, tongue, together with all related bodily sensations. Be in the Now, while maintaining the awareness of your own presence.
“Don't drink your tea like someone who gulps down a cup of coffee during a work break. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves-slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Don't be attached to the future. Don't worry about things you have to do.”[i]
Dressing
“Patience requires a slowing down, a spaciousness, a sense of ease.” ― Allan Lokos, Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living
Possible triggers: the acts of putting on or taking off items of clothing.
Whenever you begin dressing, or more precisely, as soon as you start putting on any item of clothing, you should be brought directly into the Now.
Try to sustain the state of Presence at least until you finish your dressing. Be in the moment. Feel the weight of the clothing on your skin. Stay conscious of every motion of your body and parts of clothing, together with accompanying bodily sensations. Slow down, enjoy the Now.
Driving/Commuting
“Wherever you go, there you are” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: opening or closing the doors of your garage and car; red light on the traffic lights.
If you have a garage, immediately upon opening its door, you should become fully conscious of yourself and everything around you. Or, as you open the door of your car, your mindfulness is being triggered. Then you become completely aware of every motion and sensation.
Sit in the car; feel the sensations of the comfortable seat. Don’t start the engine straightaway. Wait for a minute; relax and be fully conscious of your breathing. Then start the engine. Continue being present while driving. Melt yourself into the traffic flow, the engine’s sounds, sensations of moving the wheel, pushing the gas pedal, touching any button, while keeping the awareness of your own being. Drive slowly and carefully.
Whenever you are waiting at a red traffic light, don’t be anxious. Instead, take advantage of it. Pause with any thoughts and become aware of your breathing, then of all other sensations and sounds. Become aware of the Now.
To me personally, driving is one of the best opportunities to bring myself into the Now. Moreover, I drive almost impeccably when I’m completely present in the Now.
Walking
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Possible trigger: the act of standing up and beginning the first step of a walk.
When you become mindful while walking, your objective is to be fully aware of the sensations caused by your walking, together with the awareness of your own presence.
For the beginning of your practice, walk slower than usual in order to be able to follow consciously your steps. Act as a toddler who is walking for the first time, re-create the feeling of awe as you are watching the miracle of walking. Witness your first step, sense your foot lifting up, moving forward, descending, touching the ground. Follow its movement. Do the same with the other foot, and repeat this until you are fully immersed in the walking. All the while, be in the moment.
Whenever you walk, even from your office to your colleague’s workplace, take advantage of this walking meditation, however short it is. Turn your every step into a small poem. Slow down, feel each step as it comes, each motion of your feet, legs, arms, all sensations of touching the ground with your shoes, your breathing, your Heart and your whole body. Enjoy the wonder of walking in the Now.
Emotions
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Stepping into Freedom: Rules of Monastic Practice for Novices
Possible triggers: any hint of a developing emotion.
All emotions, for example anger, fear or sorrow and their many variations, could also be mindfully experienced. As we meet the emotion with Presence, its unpleasantness declines dramatically. But if we succeed in intercepting its trigger with full awareness, we will completely avoid “the attack” or surprise of the emotional response, and the energy “assigned” to that attack will be released in a pleasant way.
It may be easier to spend some time doing the Inner Triangle or similar technique, rather than to wait for the emotion to express itself in real life. In the section “Emotions” (Part III) we have covered the most important points on dealing with emotions.
So, when we catch an emotion at its very beginning, the best approach is to simply become aware of the emotion’s trigger. If possible, do quickly the FA (Freshness and Acceptance technique - described in Inner Peace, Outer Success or Inner Freedom Techniques) or DTI on the trigger. If not, just accept it and become fully aware. This will often completely stop the emotion’s manifestation.
But when you become conscious in the midst of its manifestation, the best way is to immediately begin conscious breathing. That will relatively quickly abate the emotion itself and allow you to do some basic Reintegration techniques on it.
Conversations
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ― Mary Oliver
Possible trigger: catching the eyes of your friend; pauses during conversation.
To be honest, staying present during a conversation is pretty hard to do, but it’s feasible. To achieve this in such situations you can’t rely on your remembering “Oh, I should be mindful!” You must create and use your own triggers, and my above stated ideas on this are just food for thought. For example, you may create triggers from some specific words or phrases spoken during conversations, some gestures or anything else.
So, as you become aware in the middle of a discussion with a friend (or any person), first you have to become conscious of yourself and, at the same time, of the subject of conversation. Slow down the pace of the talk itself and stretch the small pauses between sentences. Try to be aware of these micro-pauses. Listen carefully to your friend, while you are staying aware of your own consciousness. Immerse into the totality of yourself and the conversation you are involved in. Feel that totality and let the flow of the dialog lead you, as you keep up with being Present.
From time to time, think silently toward your companion, whoever they are: “I wish you to be truly happy, my dear friend,” or something similar. Feel love for them. It doesn’t matter whether you know that person or not. It matters not if you have a great or difficult relationship with them. But if you take my advice, you certainly should be prepared for this: the current talk, as well as your whole relationship with that individual, could be transformed in beautiful, unexpected and sublime ways!
Using Electronic Devices
“Choiceless awareness—at every moment and in all the circumstances of life—is the only effective meditation.” ― Aldous Huxley
Possible triggers: opening the lid of a laptop; pressing the “Power” button; pressing the “Home” button; clicking or scrolling of the mouse…
I find that activities on a computer, tablet or smartphone are very demanding when it comes to maintaining Presence. These activities, especially video-games, are often draining and soak up one’s attention and energy. The person is frequently completely immersed in the game or other actions within the virtual world. That’s why it’s advisable to set up not one, but several different mindfulness triggers. Some of them will have the role of bringing you into the Presence at the beginning of each “e-session.” Others will be bringing you back into awareness occasionally during the session. It’s so easy to entirely lose yourself in these kinds of activities.
Once you get back to the state of Presence during the sessions on electronic devices, keep the awareness of yourself. As you’re doing your tasks, retain the awareness of your Self, of your being-ness, of your Heart, all the while. From time to time, you may also practice conscious breathing, simultaneously with your work.
Keep practicing. Be persistent. Mindfulness requires persistence and never-ending expansion of your practice.
Talking on a Phone
“The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: specific words or phrases, like “Hi,” “Well,” “How are you,” etc.
This is another hard “case,” particularly for engaging the triggers. You must be creative in finding those that work for you. But when you succeed in making them functional in real phone conversations, the same advice applies for talks face-to-face: be conscious of yourself and, at the same time, of the subject of talk. Reduce the speed of the dialog. Be aware of small pauses between sentences. Be in the flow of the conversation, while you retain your self-awareness.
As with in-person conversation, occasionally direct a compassionate thought or feeling toward the person on the other end of the line. Send them love.
Watching TV
“The whole present moment was a celebration; it always had been; all I needed was fresh eyes to see it.” ― Narissa Doumani, A Spacious Life: Memoir of a Meditator
Possible triggers: turning on the TV set with the remote; seeing particular scenes, specific images, concrete people or your favorite advertisements on the screen.
Again, one of the most demanding activities for maintaining mindfulness. You are completely passive while watching TV and are normally totally immersed in whatever happens on the screen.
The goal here is to become aware of yourself and maintain that self-awareness as you are watching television. Try some tricks. You can occasionally move your sight from the screen to the frame of the television set, all the time being aware of yourself. When the pre-determined scenes or images (designated for triggering awareness) appear on the screen, use them to strengthen your self-awareness.
Daily Errands
“Each act is a rite, a ceremony.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness
Possible triggers: the acts of putting a kettle on the burner, releasing tap water, sweeping the floors or dusting, grabbing the door handle, etc.
Daily errands could mean a lot of various regular activities, like cooking meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and so on, which are usually considered a burden. These kinds of activities are widely accepted in many approaches for developing mindfulness. Try to be aware of every motion of your body, sensation, sound, and smell. From time to time, pause and direct attention to your breath, and then to your sense of self. Sustain that state of self-awareness during every activity. You will enjoy every errand, it will become somehow light and almost transparent.
Every conscious moment in the Now will gradually accumulate and add up to all the previous ones. The effort to become mindful of your everyday errands will make your whole life easier and abate or even prevent many future challenges.
Reading
“Even just taking 20 seconds to truly appreciate your surroundings makes a world of difference.” ― Russell Eric Dobda
Possible triggers: the act of browsing the pages; seeing any images; coming across a certain word or expression.
Whether you are reading a book, newspaper, a magazine, or reading something on an electronic device, you are always browsing pages or articles, seeing images or encountering some specific words. For instance, my favorite mindfulness triggers for reading are several concrete words or expressions like “therefore,” “however,” “for example,” “et cetera.” ... I have “programmed” my subconscious, more or less successfully, to launch me into the state of Presence whenever I come across these words.
Staying present while reading can be difficult. As with watching movies, you are often completely identified with the characters or the plot itself. Immediately upon becoming mindful, you have to find a delicate balance between self-awareness and attachment to the story. You will undoubtedly need to try this many times before you finally succeed in remaining stable in that state for some time. But when you make it, you will find astonishing, divine inner peace while reading and that peace will not negatively influence your reading at all. On the contrary, it will provide you with greater focus and better reading experience.
Observing Thoughts
“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: specific thoughts.
Staying mindful during thinking actually means observing your own thoughts while you think them. You may wonder how it’s possible to notice any thought in the first place, when it seems you are that thought as long as it stays in your mind. Luckily, we have triggers that will help us to do this.
Assign to some typical and frequently reoccurring thoughts the role of trigger for your mindfulness. That could be thoughts like “I like it,” “I’m determined to…,” “This is so beautiful,” “I really enjoy this,” “Great,” “Love,” “True,” “Peace,” and so on. Whenever these thoughts come into your mind, they should automatically induce your Presence.
The triggering thoughts can be even negative ones. As they usually initiate a stream of other negative thoughts and emotions, your Presence will abate and even transform that stream into a positive one or into pure awareness.
Now, you’ve become aware of your thoughts and you should know how to face them. Yet, there’s a myriad of circumstances in which you could become conscious of your thoughts. In some situations, like when you are meditating, resting, or simply doing nothing, you will be perfectly able to deal with every thought that comes into your field of attention. The best way is to meet them as was explained in the “Regular Sessions”—to do the FA technique.
So, a thought arrives, like a cloud over a clear sky. You immediately notice it, but you stay fully conscious, not allowing it to overwhelm you. Next, you do the FA technique on the Temporary I which perceives that thought. As your Temporary I vanishes, so will the thought itself. Repeat this process with every single thought, as you do in meditation. After some practice, you will even be able to observe thoughts that come and go, while you are still deeply rooted in the divine emptiness of your Being. Thoughts will rarely arrive in your consciousness, and when they do, you will be completely still, despite them.
But, when you are engaged in some other activity and are having an avalanche of thoughts, it’s very difficult to apply any method or technique. You should just accept each thought as soon as you notice it, regain mindfulness which includes self-awareness and continue with your main activity.
Following the Breath before Sleep
“Breathing is our participation with the cosmic dance. When our breath is in harmony, cosmos nourishes us in every sense.” ― Amit Ray
Possible trigger: relaxing before going to sleep.
Lying in your bed, and after doing a recapitulation of the whole day, you may finally get your well-deserved sleep. Getting ready for sleep should be a mindfulness trigger on its own and you may consider it to be a kind of meditation. But, this bed-time session should not be the kind of meditation described in the “Regular Sessions,” with all those “multiple-layered” or simpler techniques, because after only a few days, such practice will get you into a habit of falling asleep while doing regular sessions. You could unconsciously transform that practice into a trigger for getting asleep.
Therefore, you should do something else. I recommend following the breath and this is a nice opportunity for a brief explanation of that well-known mindfulness technique.
If you forget to be mindful before falling asleep, let some triggering thoughts launch your awareness, or bring you back into awareness. Then you continue with following the breath. But if you are tired or have your normal sleeping routine, don’t force yourself to return again and again to your breath awareness. Let yourself naturally sink into sleep. You must have enough sleep in order to be healthy, energized and mindful in your life.
Mindfulness of Breath
“Stop, breathe, look around and embrace the miracle of each day, the miracle of life.” ― Jeffrey A. White
There are several variations of the mindfulness of breath. In all of them you should consciously follow the movement of air into your body and out of it, along with any sensations that the movement produces. But you could focus on different areas of your body.
For example, you might prefer concentrating on the sensation of the air, moving in and out of your body in its entirety, however you feel it. Personally, I prefer this variation because it brings me more easily into a state of self-awareness. In this approach, you are trying to be fully conscious of your chest’s motions during inhaling and exhaling, of the whole volume of air going in and out from you, and of the entire feeling of its gentle contact with your inner organs—nostrils, throat and lungs.
You may also practice breath mindfulness by focusing only on the sensations within your nostrils during inhale and exhale circles. Alternatively, you could orient your attention to the sensation of the air filling and emptying the inside of your lungs.
Try out all these approaches. Use whichever one is most suitable for you and enjoy mindfulness on many occasions—immediately after waking up, during driving, walking, working on the computer, while doing various daily errands, in the midst of emotional bursts, before sleep, or many other situations, at your will. Mindfulness of breath can bring you deep peace in every situation, help you in releasing stress and raise your overall level of consciousness.
Triggers
“Mindfulness isn't difficult; we just need to remember to do it.” ― Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
Of course, you can change any of the previously noted triggers or create more concrete ones for each of the suggested situations. You can tailor them to the specific activities which are characteristic for your own day life.
Visualize yourself in each of these trigger scenes, one by one. Imagine that in every single trigger you are becoming completely aware of both yourself and your environment. You have to visualize the most common concrete scenes from real life, in order to transmute them into functioning triggers for becoming present. Imagine the very moment in which you become fully aware.
If possible, immediately after each imagined scene, do it in real life and really become mindful. Do this a few times for every scene, the more the better. This will definitely “cement” these situations as the triggers for your mindfulness.
Remember that you are trying to create new habits for triggering mindfulness. Although mindfulness by its nature is kind of opposite to all habitual behaviors (because habits are usually unconscious actions), we still can make their triggers habitual. In order to create a completely new habit, we have to create its three elements: a cue, routine and reward. You have the cue for each small habit—that’s the corresponding trigger. You know what the “routine” should be--becoming mindful. But don’t forget the last, but equally important part: the reward.
What should be your reward for each of these small habits? That depends on you. Despite the fact that mindfulness itself can be regarded as a reward, you could also designate the role of reward to a small, pleasant or healthy thing that you can afford to do for yourself. One option could be to simply congratulate yourself and give yourself some love.
Designate some time every day to setting up your mindfulness triggers. You could do the visualization of 3 to 5 triggers in one session. As already noted, each visualization should be followed by exercising the trigger in real life a few times.
When you become aware that you haven’t been present, you can do various things in order to get back easily to the state of Presence. There are many gates to that state. For example, stop completely your breathing for a while. You will notice that your thoughts have also stopped. No breathing, no thoughts. And that thoughtless state is actually pure consciousness. Of course, don’t stay in that breathless state too long, for it’s not healthy to disrupt the breath too much. You can stop breathing for 5 to 10 seconds only, enter the thoughtless state and then continue normally with breathing, while staying in the state of Presence.
Eckhart Tolle often recommends another gate to the state of pure consciousness: feeling your body. Just sense your physical body as a whole entity. Be aware of it. This will bring you into the state of Presence.
You could also tell yourself some of these words: Now; Here; I Am; Am; I exist; Where am I?; Attention!; Stop!, I don’t know. Feel the meaning of these words; they will bring you here and now, into the state of mind without thoughts. That’s mindfulness.
Distractions
“I don’t need anyone else to distract me from myself anymore, like I always thought I would.” ― Charlotte Eriksson
OK, we are holding our mindfulness, but what should we do with distractions that will inevitably occur? They could be inner events, like unnecessary thoughts, emotions, sensations, or they could be external happenings, like people approaching or interrupting you, or any other outer event. In both cases, unless you are attacked or jeopardized in some way, you shouldn’t react to them, nor should you be angry at yourself because of that.
For example, while sitting and not being engaged in a demanding activity, you should be able to remove or reintegrate any distraction with the Dissolving the Temporary I, Dissolving the Temporary I Plus, Gentle Touch of Presence or Freshness & Acceptance procedures. That’s the best-case scenario.
In other circumstances, you won’t be able to apply any technique. You will have just to let go of the interruption and gently return to the state of Presence. Simply tell yourself “OK” and continue with your activity, while being fully conscious. If distractions are repetitive, do this all over again, until you are finally firmly rooted in inner peace.
After everything being said here on mindfulness, you might get a feeling that mindfulness is all about creating lists, defining triggers, discipline, and so on. It is not. In his book “Mindfulness: Living in the Moment—Living in the Breath,” Amit Ray tells us: “Mindfulness is not a mechanical process. It is developing a very gentle, kind, and creative awareness to the present moment.” A very good point.
Be patient and persistent, as there is no other way, and remember: rushing kills mindfulness.
[i] Thich Nhat Hanh. The Miracle of Mindfulness (Kindle Locations 272-274). Kindle Edition.
“Let the breath lead the way.” ― Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
Possible trigger: the very act of opening your eyes.
As soon as you wake up in the morning, become fully mindful of your breathing with the very act of first opening your eyes. Feel the air as it enters your nose and lungs, as well as when it goes out from them. Try being mindful in this way for a few minutes. This will clear up your mind and could positively influence your whole day ahead, giving you fresh energy and necessary focus.
Morning Routines
“No ideals. No illusions. Just reality—but more perfect than you’ve ever imagined. That’s what being mindful and living in the present means.” ― Lidiya K., This Moment
Possible triggers: putting toothpaste onto your brush; putting the shaving foam on your face; switching on the shaver; touching various parts of your body while taking a shower.
The very act of squeezing toothpaste onto your toothbrush could trigger your mindfulness. When you “wake up” into the Presence, slow down every movement and try to maintain the awareness of every motion of the brush inside your mouth; sense mindfully the friction between the brush and teeth with gums. Feel the movements of your hand. Enjoy mindfully every motion.
When it comes to a shaving routine, the act of putting the foam onto your face could elicit your awareness, or the action of switching on a shaving device. Maintain awareness of every movement of the brush or shaver on your skin. Slow down each motion.
As with all other morning routines, taking a shower could also be amazingly enjoyable when you are present. As you initially touch any part of your body with your hand, let that act trigger your Presence. Keep up with this awareness as long as possible. Be mindful of every part of your body and its motions, of every stream of water rushing onto it. Enjoy the sense of this bathing in freshness, while being fully aware of every moment and everything that comes to your attention. Slow down everything and delight in your Presence.
Meals and Drinks
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Possible triggers: the act of chewing or swallowing; preparing meals, tea, coffee or juice; the act of taking up a spoon, fork, cup or glass and bringing it to your mouth.
Let these triggers initiate your mindful eating or drinking. Feel mindfully all your motions during the meals: the movements of your hands, tools, your tongue, mouth, gut, and all other sensations. Smell thoroughly the meal from time to time. Enjoy its taste. At the same time try to maintain the awareness of your own Presence. Eat slowly and immerse yourself completely in the Now.
When you are drinking, first be mindful of bringing the cup or glass full of liquid to your mouth. Sense its weight, determine how cool or hot the cup is. Smell the coffee or tea deeply before the act of drinking. Feel the liquid in your mouth: its taste, its passage down your throat. Experience fully all subsequent motions of your hand, mouth, tongue, together with all related bodily sensations. Be in the Now, while maintaining the awareness of your own presence.
“Don't drink your tea like someone who gulps down a cup of coffee during a work break. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves-slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life. Don't be attached to the future. Don't worry about things you have to do.”[i]
Dressing
“Patience requires a slowing down, a spaciousness, a sense of ease.” ― Allan Lokos, Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living
Possible triggers: the acts of putting on or taking off items of clothing.
Whenever you begin dressing, or more precisely, as soon as you start putting on any item of clothing, you should be brought directly into the Now.
Try to sustain the state of Presence at least until you finish your dressing. Be in the moment. Feel the weight of the clothing on your skin. Stay conscious of every motion of your body and parts of clothing, together with accompanying bodily sensations. Slow down, enjoy the Now.
Driving/Commuting
“Wherever you go, there you are” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: opening or closing the doors of your garage and car; red light on the traffic lights.
If you have a garage, immediately upon opening its door, you should become fully conscious of yourself and everything around you. Or, as you open the door of your car, your mindfulness is being triggered. Then you become completely aware of every motion and sensation.
Sit in the car; feel the sensations of the comfortable seat. Don’t start the engine straightaway. Wait for a minute; relax and be fully conscious of your breathing. Then start the engine. Continue being present while driving. Melt yourself into the traffic flow, the engine’s sounds, sensations of moving the wheel, pushing the gas pedal, touching any button, while keeping the awareness of your own being. Drive slowly and carefully.
Whenever you are waiting at a red traffic light, don’t be anxious. Instead, take advantage of it. Pause with any thoughts and become aware of your breathing, then of all other sensations and sounds. Become aware of the Now.
To me personally, driving is one of the best opportunities to bring myself into the Now. Moreover, I drive almost impeccably when I’m completely present in the Now.
Walking
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Possible trigger: the act of standing up and beginning the first step of a walk.
When you become mindful while walking, your objective is to be fully aware of the sensations caused by your walking, together with the awareness of your own presence.
For the beginning of your practice, walk slower than usual in order to be able to follow consciously your steps. Act as a toddler who is walking for the first time, re-create the feeling of awe as you are watching the miracle of walking. Witness your first step, sense your foot lifting up, moving forward, descending, touching the ground. Follow its movement. Do the same with the other foot, and repeat this until you are fully immersed in the walking. All the while, be in the moment.
Whenever you walk, even from your office to your colleague’s workplace, take advantage of this walking meditation, however short it is. Turn your every step into a small poem. Slow down, feel each step as it comes, each motion of your feet, legs, arms, all sensations of touching the ground with your shoes, your breathing, your Heart and your whole body. Enjoy the wonder of walking in the Now.
Emotions
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Stepping into Freedom: Rules of Monastic Practice for Novices
Possible triggers: any hint of a developing emotion.
All emotions, for example anger, fear or sorrow and their many variations, could also be mindfully experienced. As we meet the emotion with Presence, its unpleasantness declines dramatically. But if we succeed in intercepting its trigger with full awareness, we will completely avoid “the attack” or surprise of the emotional response, and the energy “assigned” to that attack will be released in a pleasant way.
It may be easier to spend some time doing the Inner Triangle or similar technique, rather than to wait for the emotion to express itself in real life. In the section “Emotions” (Part III) we have covered the most important points on dealing with emotions.
So, when we catch an emotion at its very beginning, the best approach is to simply become aware of the emotion’s trigger. If possible, do quickly the FA (Freshness and Acceptance technique - described in Inner Peace, Outer Success or Inner Freedom Techniques) or DTI on the trigger. If not, just accept it and become fully aware. This will often completely stop the emotion’s manifestation.
But when you become conscious in the midst of its manifestation, the best way is to immediately begin conscious breathing. That will relatively quickly abate the emotion itself and allow you to do some basic Reintegration techniques on it.
Conversations
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ― Mary Oliver
Possible trigger: catching the eyes of your friend; pauses during conversation.
To be honest, staying present during a conversation is pretty hard to do, but it’s feasible. To achieve this in such situations you can’t rely on your remembering “Oh, I should be mindful!” You must create and use your own triggers, and my above stated ideas on this are just food for thought. For example, you may create triggers from some specific words or phrases spoken during conversations, some gestures or anything else.
So, as you become aware in the middle of a discussion with a friend (or any person), first you have to become conscious of yourself and, at the same time, of the subject of conversation. Slow down the pace of the talk itself and stretch the small pauses between sentences. Try to be aware of these micro-pauses. Listen carefully to your friend, while you are staying aware of your own consciousness. Immerse into the totality of yourself and the conversation you are involved in. Feel that totality and let the flow of the dialog lead you, as you keep up with being Present.
From time to time, think silently toward your companion, whoever they are: “I wish you to be truly happy, my dear friend,” or something similar. Feel love for them. It doesn’t matter whether you know that person or not. It matters not if you have a great or difficult relationship with them. But if you take my advice, you certainly should be prepared for this: the current talk, as well as your whole relationship with that individual, could be transformed in beautiful, unexpected and sublime ways!
Using Electronic Devices
“Choiceless awareness—at every moment and in all the circumstances of life—is the only effective meditation.” ― Aldous Huxley
Possible triggers: opening the lid of a laptop; pressing the “Power” button; pressing the “Home” button; clicking or scrolling of the mouse…
I find that activities on a computer, tablet or smartphone are very demanding when it comes to maintaining Presence. These activities, especially video-games, are often draining and soak up one’s attention and energy. The person is frequently completely immersed in the game or other actions within the virtual world. That’s why it’s advisable to set up not one, but several different mindfulness triggers. Some of them will have the role of bringing you into the Presence at the beginning of each “e-session.” Others will be bringing you back into awareness occasionally during the session. It’s so easy to entirely lose yourself in these kinds of activities.
Once you get back to the state of Presence during the sessions on electronic devices, keep the awareness of yourself. As you’re doing your tasks, retain the awareness of your Self, of your being-ness, of your Heart, all the while. From time to time, you may also practice conscious breathing, simultaneously with your work.
Keep practicing. Be persistent. Mindfulness requires persistence and never-ending expansion of your practice.
Talking on a Phone
“The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: specific words or phrases, like “Hi,” “Well,” “How are you,” etc.
This is another hard “case,” particularly for engaging the triggers. You must be creative in finding those that work for you. But when you succeed in making them functional in real phone conversations, the same advice applies for talks face-to-face: be conscious of yourself and, at the same time, of the subject of talk. Reduce the speed of the dialog. Be aware of small pauses between sentences. Be in the flow of the conversation, while you retain your self-awareness.
As with in-person conversation, occasionally direct a compassionate thought or feeling toward the person on the other end of the line. Send them love.
Watching TV
“The whole present moment was a celebration; it always had been; all I needed was fresh eyes to see it.” ― Narissa Doumani, A Spacious Life: Memoir of a Meditator
Possible triggers: turning on the TV set with the remote; seeing particular scenes, specific images, concrete people or your favorite advertisements on the screen.
Again, one of the most demanding activities for maintaining mindfulness. You are completely passive while watching TV and are normally totally immersed in whatever happens on the screen.
The goal here is to become aware of yourself and maintain that self-awareness as you are watching television. Try some tricks. You can occasionally move your sight from the screen to the frame of the television set, all the time being aware of yourself. When the pre-determined scenes or images (designated for triggering awareness) appear on the screen, use them to strengthen your self-awareness.
Daily Errands
“Each act is a rite, a ceremony.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness
Possible triggers: the acts of putting a kettle on the burner, releasing tap water, sweeping the floors or dusting, grabbing the door handle, etc.
Daily errands could mean a lot of various regular activities, like cooking meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and so on, which are usually considered a burden. These kinds of activities are widely accepted in many approaches for developing mindfulness. Try to be aware of every motion of your body, sensation, sound, and smell. From time to time, pause and direct attention to your breath, and then to your sense of self. Sustain that state of self-awareness during every activity. You will enjoy every errand, it will become somehow light and almost transparent.
Every conscious moment in the Now will gradually accumulate and add up to all the previous ones. The effort to become mindful of your everyday errands will make your whole life easier and abate or even prevent many future challenges.
Reading
“Even just taking 20 seconds to truly appreciate your surroundings makes a world of difference.” ― Russell Eric Dobda
Possible triggers: the act of browsing the pages; seeing any images; coming across a certain word or expression.
Whether you are reading a book, newspaper, a magazine, or reading something on an electronic device, you are always browsing pages or articles, seeing images or encountering some specific words. For instance, my favorite mindfulness triggers for reading are several concrete words or expressions like “therefore,” “however,” “for example,” “et cetera.” ... I have “programmed” my subconscious, more or less successfully, to launch me into the state of Presence whenever I come across these words.
Staying present while reading can be difficult. As with watching movies, you are often completely identified with the characters or the plot itself. Immediately upon becoming mindful, you have to find a delicate balance between self-awareness and attachment to the story. You will undoubtedly need to try this many times before you finally succeed in remaining stable in that state for some time. But when you make it, you will find astonishing, divine inner peace while reading and that peace will not negatively influence your reading at all. On the contrary, it will provide you with greater focus and better reading experience.
Observing Thoughts
“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Possible triggers: specific thoughts.
Staying mindful during thinking actually means observing your own thoughts while you think them. You may wonder how it’s possible to notice any thought in the first place, when it seems you are that thought as long as it stays in your mind. Luckily, we have triggers that will help us to do this.
Assign to some typical and frequently reoccurring thoughts the role of trigger for your mindfulness. That could be thoughts like “I like it,” “I’m determined to…,” “This is so beautiful,” “I really enjoy this,” “Great,” “Love,” “True,” “Peace,” and so on. Whenever these thoughts come into your mind, they should automatically induce your Presence.
The triggering thoughts can be even negative ones. As they usually initiate a stream of other negative thoughts and emotions, your Presence will abate and even transform that stream into a positive one or into pure awareness.
Now, you’ve become aware of your thoughts and you should know how to face them. Yet, there’s a myriad of circumstances in which you could become conscious of your thoughts. In some situations, like when you are meditating, resting, or simply doing nothing, you will be perfectly able to deal with every thought that comes into your field of attention. The best way is to meet them as was explained in the “Regular Sessions”—to do the FA technique.
So, a thought arrives, like a cloud over a clear sky. You immediately notice it, but you stay fully conscious, not allowing it to overwhelm you. Next, you do the FA technique on the Temporary I which perceives that thought. As your Temporary I vanishes, so will the thought itself. Repeat this process with every single thought, as you do in meditation. After some practice, you will even be able to observe thoughts that come and go, while you are still deeply rooted in the divine emptiness of your Being. Thoughts will rarely arrive in your consciousness, and when they do, you will be completely still, despite them.
But, when you are engaged in some other activity and are having an avalanche of thoughts, it’s very difficult to apply any method or technique. You should just accept each thought as soon as you notice it, regain mindfulness which includes self-awareness and continue with your main activity.
Following the Breath before Sleep
“Breathing is our participation with the cosmic dance. When our breath is in harmony, cosmos nourishes us in every sense.” ― Amit Ray
Possible trigger: relaxing before going to sleep.
Lying in your bed, and after doing a recapitulation of the whole day, you may finally get your well-deserved sleep. Getting ready for sleep should be a mindfulness trigger on its own and you may consider it to be a kind of meditation. But, this bed-time session should not be the kind of meditation described in the “Regular Sessions,” with all those “multiple-layered” or simpler techniques, because after only a few days, such practice will get you into a habit of falling asleep while doing regular sessions. You could unconsciously transform that practice into a trigger for getting asleep.
Therefore, you should do something else. I recommend following the breath and this is a nice opportunity for a brief explanation of that well-known mindfulness technique.
If you forget to be mindful before falling asleep, let some triggering thoughts launch your awareness, or bring you back into awareness. Then you continue with following the breath. But if you are tired or have your normal sleeping routine, don’t force yourself to return again and again to your breath awareness. Let yourself naturally sink into sleep. You must have enough sleep in order to be healthy, energized and mindful in your life.
Mindfulness of Breath
“Stop, breathe, look around and embrace the miracle of each day, the miracle of life.” ― Jeffrey A. White
There are several variations of the mindfulness of breath. In all of them you should consciously follow the movement of air into your body and out of it, along with any sensations that the movement produces. But you could focus on different areas of your body.
For example, you might prefer concentrating on the sensation of the air, moving in and out of your body in its entirety, however you feel it. Personally, I prefer this variation because it brings me more easily into a state of self-awareness. In this approach, you are trying to be fully conscious of your chest’s motions during inhaling and exhaling, of the whole volume of air going in and out from you, and of the entire feeling of its gentle contact with your inner organs—nostrils, throat and lungs.
You may also practice breath mindfulness by focusing only on the sensations within your nostrils during inhale and exhale circles. Alternatively, you could orient your attention to the sensation of the air filling and emptying the inside of your lungs.
Try out all these approaches. Use whichever one is most suitable for you and enjoy mindfulness on many occasions—immediately after waking up, during driving, walking, working on the computer, while doing various daily errands, in the midst of emotional bursts, before sleep, or many other situations, at your will. Mindfulness of breath can bring you deep peace in every situation, help you in releasing stress and raise your overall level of consciousness.
Triggers
“Mindfulness isn't difficult; we just need to remember to do it.” ― Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
Of course, you can change any of the previously noted triggers or create more concrete ones for each of the suggested situations. You can tailor them to the specific activities which are characteristic for your own day life.
Visualize yourself in each of these trigger scenes, one by one. Imagine that in every single trigger you are becoming completely aware of both yourself and your environment. You have to visualize the most common concrete scenes from real life, in order to transmute them into functioning triggers for becoming present. Imagine the very moment in which you become fully aware.
If possible, immediately after each imagined scene, do it in real life and really become mindful. Do this a few times for every scene, the more the better. This will definitely “cement” these situations as the triggers for your mindfulness.
Remember that you are trying to create new habits for triggering mindfulness. Although mindfulness by its nature is kind of opposite to all habitual behaviors (because habits are usually unconscious actions), we still can make their triggers habitual. In order to create a completely new habit, we have to create its three elements: a cue, routine and reward. You have the cue for each small habit—that’s the corresponding trigger. You know what the “routine” should be--becoming mindful. But don’t forget the last, but equally important part: the reward.
What should be your reward for each of these small habits? That depends on you. Despite the fact that mindfulness itself can be regarded as a reward, you could also designate the role of reward to a small, pleasant or healthy thing that you can afford to do for yourself. One option could be to simply congratulate yourself and give yourself some love.
Designate some time every day to setting up your mindfulness triggers. You could do the visualization of 3 to 5 triggers in one session. As already noted, each visualization should be followed by exercising the trigger in real life a few times.
When you become aware that you haven’t been present, you can do various things in order to get back easily to the state of Presence. There are many gates to that state. For example, stop completely your breathing for a while. You will notice that your thoughts have also stopped. No breathing, no thoughts. And that thoughtless state is actually pure consciousness. Of course, don’t stay in that breathless state too long, for it’s not healthy to disrupt the breath too much. You can stop breathing for 5 to 10 seconds only, enter the thoughtless state and then continue normally with breathing, while staying in the state of Presence.
Eckhart Tolle often recommends another gate to the state of pure consciousness: feeling your body. Just sense your physical body as a whole entity. Be aware of it. This will bring you into the state of Presence.
You could also tell yourself some of these words: Now; Here; I Am; Am; I exist; Where am I?; Attention!; Stop!, I don’t know. Feel the meaning of these words; they will bring you here and now, into the state of mind without thoughts. That’s mindfulness.
Distractions
“I don’t need anyone else to distract me from myself anymore, like I always thought I would.” ― Charlotte Eriksson
OK, we are holding our mindfulness, but what should we do with distractions that will inevitably occur? They could be inner events, like unnecessary thoughts, emotions, sensations, or they could be external happenings, like people approaching or interrupting you, or any other outer event. In both cases, unless you are attacked or jeopardized in some way, you shouldn’t react to them, nor should you be angry at yourself because of that.
For example, while sitting and not being engaged in a demanding activity, you should be able to remove or reintegrate any distraction with the Dissolving the Temporary I, Dissolving the Temporary I Plus, Gentle Touch of Presence or Freshness & Acceptance procedures. That’s the best-case scenario.
In other circumstances, you won’t be able to apply any technique. You will have just to let go of the interruption and gently return to the state of Presence. Simply tell yourself “OK” and continue with your activity, while being fully conscious. If distractions are repetitive, do this all over again, until you are finally firmly rooted in inner peace.
After everything being said here on mindfulness, you might get a feeling that mindfulness is all about creating lists, defining triggers, discipline, and so on. It is not. In his book “Mindfulness: Living in the Moment—Living in the Breath,” Amit Ray tells us: “Mindfulness is not a mechanical process. It is developing a very gentle, kind, and creative awareness to the present moment.” A very good point.
Be patient and persistent, as there is no other way, and remember: rushing kills mindfulness.
[i] Thich Nhat Hanh. The Miracle of Mindfulness (Kindle Locations 272-274). Kindle Edition.