There are tasks and chores we do every day,
Many repetitious for obvious reasons.
We wake up,
Open the blinds,
Make the coffee,
Wash our face,
Help everybody get ready and out the door,
Go about our day,
Make dinner,
Perhaps help with homework,
And then try to unwind before collapsing into bed.
Moments can be a good thing,
They're comforting in many ways,
But often our habitual behavior creates a breeding ground for the kind of mind-numbing repetition that disallows real living.
Instead of being engaged in what we're doing when we're doing it,
We can wind up merely going through the motions and missing the importance in the small moments that stack up throughout the day.
But it is in these small,
Seemingly insignificant moments that the real magic lies.
And if you look for the magic,
You'll find it.
Because hidden inside the everyday act of waking up and opening the blinds is the potential for joy,
The joy of seeing the sunrise and another day begin.
Drinking or buying a cup of coffee can turn into a comforting ritual.
Washing your face can be more than just cleansing your skin,
It can also refresh your spirit.
Getting kids out the door,
Making dinner,
Tackling homework,
And on and on are all opportunities.
And as night falls,
You've collected a daily stack of little moments that add up.
And when you see them for what they are,
You can appreciate what your day has brought to you and be grateful for how you've managed it.
This magic-in-the-moment way of life changes your perspective and gives you a reverence for all of the life you are living.
Once you know what that feels like,
You can experience the ultimate prize,
Joy.
And it is the hopeful and sustaining feeling of joy that makes life worth living.
So with joy,
Let cares melt away and nourish mind,
Body,
And spirit with this all-of-life meditation designed to let your imagination combine the art of loaf-baking with bliss-making.
Welcome to Zenful Bread,
Where memories mingle and twine together your past and present kitchens in a reverie of beautiful abundance as you allow a simple loaf of bread,
Daily sustenance,
The staff of life,
To transport you to a serene state of Zen.
Let's get started.
Find a comfortable place to sit,
Either on the floor or in a chair.
And if you're in a chair,
Uncross your legs and put both feet flat on the floor.
Sit up tall,
Your back and spine straight.
Sense the small muscles in your neck that surround your cervical vertebrae,
And feel your head relax and your spine assume a resting state.
Lift your chin up.
Look out at the world,
Not down at your feet.
And close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Relax your shoulders and let your cares roll down in a way,
Feeling your arms soften.
Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale out of your mouth.
And again,
Inhale and exhale.
Notice the rhythm and cadence of your breath and begin to regulate your breathing evenly,
Slowing it down,
And finding a comfortable rhythm using the built-in metronome in the back of your mind to inhale to a count that fits and exhale to that same count.
Continue breathing to this rhythm as you relax and let go of stress.
Feel your muscles release tension.
Open your mind to imagination.
And in your mind's eye,
Visualize yourself standing in your kitchen,
Surveying the countertop with an array of ingredients laid out that sit and wait to be created into simple,
Baked goodness.
Your capable hands rest on an empty,
Heavy mixing bowl,
Embracing its rim,
Ready to lift and sift and pour and fill,
Pausing,
Letting memories fill your head.
You remember a time of love when baked,
Powdery goodness filled your childhood kitchen,
Your stomach,
And your heart.
When ingredients were mixed and swirled,
Strong arms and deft hands tossed flour and kneaded soft dough with loving repetition to form and shape and mold bread.
Quick or slow,
Baked,
Sliced,
Savored.
In this long-ago time and place,
You recall the finish of a school day,
Running home,
Finding the scent of doughy,
Yeasty freshness wafting through the kitchen window as you came close.
When opening the door to see a loaf of crusty deliciousness,
Fresh from the oven,
Heavenly scented,
The look of love,
Silence captures the soul as you mindfully escape to past memories with a smile and a nod.
And taking a deep breath,
You return in your mind's eye to your present reverie,
Where the oven awaits,
Heat bakes,
Rising,
Browning,
And emerging.
A deceptively simple loaf of bread,
Baked to perfection with hands and heart,
For the people you love one room over,
And listening to the sound of their muffled,
Crowded conversation and happy laughter,
You realize that from start to finish,
This baked goodness is more than the sum of its parts,
More than mere sustenance,
More than aroma and flavor.
Your bread is an exercise for the mind,
An unfolding of the heart,
A vehicle to calm you,
To center you,
To deliver a slice of serenity that is wrapped inside the elevated state of Zen.
Pausing to recall memories created for you,
You inhale deeply and are filled with gratitude.
Feeling warmth surround you in your present reverie,
You exhale fully as a sense of grace and satisfaction wrap around your accomplishment.
As you visualize slicing and serving your Zenful bread to those you love,
Giving them the nourishment they need,
The taste they crave,
And the gift of a memory they can recall,
Your heart calms and your hands rest.
This peaceful state of Zen descending from head to toe and beyond your physical borders invisibly warms,
Protects,
And wards off the chaos and frenetic pace of life,
Allowing you to feel truly at ease,
In genuine equal poise,
As you breathe into the moment.
Now,
Bathed in resting relaxation,
Feeling lifted and restored,
Bring your awareness back into the room where you are.
Feel your body sitting in its position.
Notice the measured rhythm of your breath,
The relaxation streaming through your muscles,
The feeling of an expansive and open mind,
And a welcoming radiance emanating from your heart.
And as you open your eyes or lift your gaze,
Allow your state of mind to lift and carry you in peaceful acceptance down the path toward enlightenment.
Capture and embrace your Zen and take it with you into the rest of your day and into the days ahead.
