by Jen on September 13, 2009
As we engage in mindful living, we come across countless opportunities to train, grow and heal with the seven attitudes of mindfulness.
When I first learned about them, I decided to practice one each week in depth. Starting in the morning with some stretches and meditation, I’d read about that week’s mindful attitude and practice it throughout the day when the opportunity presented itself–and it always did. By the end of the week I had a feel for the attitude, and eventually I learned how much they work together to help us cultivate our gardens.
Seven Mindful Attitudes
1. Nonjudging Awareness–This draft sucks. It smells weird out here. I liked the other restaurant better. We often have our judge on, chitter chattering in our minds and running out of our mouths, but what if we just let the experience be the experience? As we practice, it’s tempting to judge ourselves when we catch the judgments, but it’s all part of the practice.
2. Beginner’s Mind–Everything right now is new and happening for the first time. So even though you’ve had this talk/visited this place/did this job a million times, this time it is new. See each moment as a brand new beginner. Welcome freedom!
3. Nonstriving–This doesn’t mean don’t have a plan, but we can practice staying open and flexible along the way. We can feel when we’re striving. It feels like we’re pushing or forcing a point. Maybe we want to get a certain job, and so we spend our time preparing and fixating on the outcome, but striving keeps us in chains. Shake it off gently and stay open to organic experiences.
4. Mindful Acceptance–Can we accept where we are right now, in this moment? If so, we cut ourselves free from the bonds of expectations and anything false. Accepting the moment as it is brings us to the present moment–the place we are right now. Enjoy!
5. Trust as Self Reliance–Can we trust ourselves? Can we trust in something greater than ourselves? At times we’re tempted to go with what we “think” we should be doing rather than what we trust we should do. Let’s think about it.
6. Mindful Patience–Sounds easy, but we know patience is challenging at times. In the burning feeling of impatience we find our practice. Stay mindful. Practice patience in conjunction with the other attitudes–acceptance, trust, nonstriving, etc.
7. Letting Go, Letting Be–Light and free, this attitude challenges us to just let “it” go and be what it is. I like how this one is often listed last because it so clearly works with all of the others. Let go of judging, striving, impatience, anger…just breathe. Let it be.
by Jen on August 30, 2009
It’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind. Whether that means work, relationships, social events or our own thoughts–there will come times in our lives when we feel too busy to stop and eat. Exhausted and worn thin. Tired and unsure. In those moments, let us remain mindful of rest. We can pull back without acting or reacting.
It isn’t always easy.
We want to join our friends, please our family, do good work. We go and go, pushing quiet time aside. Pushing aside our time for reflection.
At church this morning, I heard a message for the second time in one month about Jesus telling his disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31) There was so much going on that they didn’t even have time to eat.
In the story, the group decides to go off to a deserted place in a boat by themselves, but the crowd saw this and by the time the boat gets to shore, the crowd is waiting. Jesus feels compassion and feeds the crowd by multiplying bread and fish. After that, he sends the disciples back on the boat and departs to the mountain to pray.
Let’s not forget to depart to the mountain to rest. To meditate. To pray. To reflect.
We come back with renewed strength.
by Jen on August 29, 2009
On this journey of life, it might seem like we’re rushing to get somewhere. But let’s not forget that the growth, the fun, the adventure–it happens along the way. It happens in the everyday moments. In the hours. In the minutes. For better or for worse, let’s pray that the adventure is long and fruitful.
Ithaka
by C.P. Cavafy (translated by Keeley/Sherrard)
As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope the voyage is a long one.
May there be many a summer morning when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors seen for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
