Aaron Engelsrud

“Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” ― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

I saw someone today post on social media that they completed the Headspace 365 pack in 365 days. They didn’t miss a single day. That’s quite an accomplishment. It’s not always easy to find the time or motivation to get after it everyday. I try to do something each day, even if it is just a shorter session. I do what I can and I am happy with that.

I’m pretty sure everyone has anxiety and stress at some point in their life. Most normal people deal with these things daily for various reasons, some big, some small. Mindfulness can help you better understand how stress and anxiety impact you and move you to have a better relationship with them. Mindfulness will not remove the stress, nor will it eliminate your anxiety, but it can help you better understand how to deal with them when they arise.

Sometimes when I’m meditating, I find myself trying to force the direction of my thoughts. I get frustrated with too many ideas or getting lost in a cloud for longer than I feel I should. This is the opposite of mindfulness. This is thinking. Instead of just allowing things to come and go as they do, I too often try to structure things the way I want them. Next week, I will try and focus on keeping a very open mind and allowing my mind to be free. I am going to focus on the breath but also realize that thoughts will come and go.

Each day seems to go to its rhythm, and today was no different. Unlike the day before, not as organized and not as structured. Here is, after 11:00 pm, and I am just sitting down now with some time to jot down my thoughts on mindfulness. Today’s thought is this, part of mindfulness is accepting what is rather than what could have been or what might be in the future. Just focus on the now. Be there. It is essential to experience what you live in the moment rather than trying to remember what you did or why you did it later on. Just be present.