Joy Of Mindfulness

In this lesson, you will learn to live outside of the autopilot mode of unconscious living. Mindfulness invites us to question our conditioned mind, habits, and knee-jerk reactions. Through mindfulness, we cultivate a deep, clear appreciation for the reality of this present moment instead of what we prefer as our personal reality. This moment is the only moment in which life truly unfolds. Meditation, is a very important part of mindfulness. During meditation, as we witness and not react to passing thoughts and emotions, we become aware of the autopilot-mode of living unconsciously. Clarity and awareness during meditation guide us toward our full potential as we release previous "programming" that limited us.

In this lesson, you will discover a calm sanctuary beyond the busyness of your mind. Awareness or Mindfulness is not the same as mental activity. Awareness does not arise from mind chatter. True awareness is simply a part of your natural being--you were born with awareness. Mindfulness is that witness-like, spacious presence that watches thoughts come and go, like clouds drifting across a vast, open sky. Thoughts arise and disappear, but the sky of mindfulness that some call The Witness remains unchanged, untouched. This unchanging state of awareness is the essence of mindfulness.

People have so many notions about meditation. In this lesson, you will learn what meditation really means. Meditation is never the act of doing something. In meditation, you sit as a witness and allow everything to pass through as you witness passing thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without resistance or interference. During meditation, there is an object (thinking mind) and a subject (silent observer) relationship. That Silent Observer is the quiet background of your mind. In yoga, we call that space of awareness Mindfulness or “The Witness."

In this lesson, you will find the roots of restlessness. Boredom, judgment, anger, or controlling behavior are just a few examples. The world was not built in a day. You cannot build anything in life being in a hurry and restless. Whether you're learning to meditate, dealing with a tough relationship, or simply stuck in traffic, taking one step at a time and living one breath at a time is the skill that helps you stay present and grounded. And over time, this manner of taking one step at a time, living one breath at a time, gives you more than just peace of mind it leads to better relationships, mindfulness, wisdom, and personal contentment.

In this lesson, you learn to identify any obsessions or fears that drive you toward controlling behavior. Releasing control means loosening your grip on all the things you’re stubbornly holding on to holding on to--your personal plans, your opinions, your past, your expectations about tomorrow, your version of how things "should be" instead of what they are in this moment. Through more awareness, you are choosing to step back from the reflex to fix, force, or figure everything out, even when you don’t have control over everything. Instead, you allow yourself to meet life as it is, not just as you wish it to be. This doesn’t mean being passive or indifferent. It means learning to stop fighting the flow of the day. You stop micromanaging the universe and start trusting something deeper--the flow of the day.

In this lesson, learn how to be here, in the present moment. When we embark on our journey of meditation, we notice that our chattering mind is comparing, analyzing, and judging experiences as "good" or "bad." This mind-chatter arises largely from the ego’s deep-seated fears. Our ego whispers doubts like: “I won’t achieve my dreams,” “I’m not good enough,” “my luck will turn bad,” or “friends will betray me.” These fears distort how we see the world. Instead of experiencing life’s fullness, we judge everything based on whether it aligns with our desires or conforms to our personal expectations. When something serves our ego, we call it “good”. When something feels challenging and lies outside of our comfort zone, we label it as “bad”, push it away, or just ignore it. In all of this, we miss the sacredness of this moment and what it offers.

In this lesson, you learn to gain faith in your core talents, powers, and wisdom--the essence that you were born with. Deep faith is a quiet revolution of the soul, the deep knowing that beneath all uncertainty and chaos, there exists an unshakable order, an Intelligence, a rhythm of life unfolding exactly as it must. I call the Creative Energy that runs the Universe, "Pure Consciousness." In this lesson, learn how to develop spiritual certainty about the invisible thread weaving through every breath, every choice, every moment. That is not blind faith; rather, it is a profound certainty about the Wholeness of Existence, an inner knowingness that the current of life carries us, even when we cannot see where it is taking us.

In this lesson, you will learn to recognize your inner resources and tap into them for uplifting yourself and others. To cultivate compassion and kindness is to acknowledge that you are deserving and have lots of abundance inside. Not just because of what you accomplish, but simply because of the way you were created. Remember to practice self-love. Make time to engage in something that nourishes your soul. Let go of any guilt or obligation attached to receiving these gifts from yourself. Instead, allow them to be offerings from the universe, freely given and fully accepted by you. When you feel self-love and deservingness, you will have something to offer others.