As you begin your shopping trip,
The first thing you do is slow your walking pace.
Take a breath,
Slow the pace and calm your internal energy.
You have set aside time to visit the store.
There's no rush,
And there is an opportunity to use this time to meditate,
To enjoy,
To complete a task with care and mindfulness.
And so you slow your walking pace,
Step by step,
Calm your internal energy,
Allowing feelings of anxiety,
The need to rush,
Just floating down within you like snowflakes in a snow globe that's just been shaken.
In place of those feelings of anxiety,
Rushing and stress,
You find presence,
Perception,
Taking in all of the sights,
Sounds,
Smells all around you.
You look up to the ceiling,
To the left,
Scanning over to the right,
Down to the floor.
You see your own feet,
Your own hands.
If you're holding a cart or basket,
You release your grip,
Relax your hands a little bit.
And so with your slow walking pace,
You begin your shopping.
Any everyday experience can be alive with wonder and enjoyment.
Being in the produce section,
You allow your eyes and your sense of perception to take in all of the color.
How many different colors can you see?
You allow your sense of awe to expand from the vibrant colors to the nourishing foods,
To the hundreds,
If not thousands of individuals who helped get those apples,
Green peppers,
Avocados and tomatoes,
Leafy greens to their position on the shelf now,
To become an offering to you for your nourishment as they work for their own families so that you can feed you and yours.
You pick up one piece of produce.
You gaze softly at it,
Noticing small details,
Variations in color and texture,
The way the light hits it.
You begin selecting your produce,
Marveling at the varieties,
The nourishment and the slowing of time that you've created to enjoy this experience.
You're calm,
Aware,
Present energy is palpable.
As you revel in awe,
Peace and relaxation,
The others around you can see that you are unhurried,
Enjoying.
As you pass other shoppers,
You look them in the face and smile at them.
You allow feelings of well-being and enjoyment to radiate within you and around you so that every person you pass can feel your kindness,
Your peace,
And it brings kindness,
Peace and enjoyment to them too.
You choose your groceries decisively.
There's no decision paralysis,
No selection overwhelm.
You don't overthink,
You just consider and select and move on.
If and when you reach a crowded area,
You take a breath in,
Out,
Smile,
Perhaps pause,
Allow the situation to clear,
And then continue on.
You choose foods that will nourish your body,
Your mind,
And your soul.
You choose foods that you will feel good to eat and to have eaten.
You hold back from selecting any foods that are based on emotional turmoil,
Disassociation,
Stress,
Or anxiety.
As you walk,
You feel your feet on the ground,
You feel your hands,
You notice the inner workings of the store,
An ecosystem in and of itself,
All to feed you.
You allow yourself to feel the abundance present in the store,
The abundance that is and will be present in your cart or basket.
You give thanks and gratitude to have good and nourishing things to eat.
By choosing healthy foods,
You set the tone for your coming days and week.
You allow yourself to make good,
Healthy choices that will help you live more alive,
More enjoyable.
You continue to smile at people you see.
You continue to walk slow and mindfully,
Deftly and decisively,
Selecting what will and will not go into your cart or basket,
Taking in color,
Sound,
Not picking up on others,
Stress,
Crushing or anxiety,
Staying strong in your energy of peace,
Presence,
And mindfulness.
Later,
When you come to the checkout,
You smile at your cashier.
You give them a warm,
Genuine hello.
You connect with them as a person.
And as you take your groceries out of the shop,
You smile at the experience in everyday meditation in which you allowed yourself to take what could have been a hurried,
Stressful experience and you made it into a chance to slow down,
Give thanks,
To enjoy and be present.
