If you hear the word mindfulness,
What comes to mind?
Maybe you picture someone sitting cross-legged,
Eyes closed,
Meditating in complete silence.
And meditation absolutely can be a mindfulness practice,
But mindfulness is more than meditation.
At its simplest,
Mindfulness is about paying attention.
It's noticing what is happening right now within you and around you with a little less judgment and a little more curiosity.
And there are many ways to practice that.
You might practice mindfulness through guided stillness,
Where someone helps direct your attention.
You might sit quietly for a few minutes and simply notice your breath,
Your thoughts,
Or the sounds around you.
You might reflect on a question and notice what comes up.
You might practice through movement,
Paying attention to how your body feels as you stretch,
Walk,
Or move.
Or you might pause and set an intention for how you want to move through the next few minutes,
The next conversation,
Or the rest of your day.
All of these.
Can be mindfulness and I think that matters,
Especially if you've never tried meditation and thought I'm not very good at this.
Or I can't sit still,
Or my mind won't stop thinking.
Your mind doesn't have to stop thinking and you don't have to practice mindfulness in one particular way.
The invitation is simply to become a little more present to the life you're already living.
You can begin right now.
For just a moment.
Notice where you are.
Notice your body.
Notice one sound around you.
Notice what you're feeling without needing to change it.
That's mindfulness too.
Meditation is one door,
But it isn't the only doorway,
Sometimes discovering the practice that fits you.
Is what makes it possible to begin.
