Spirit Online
July 18, 2010
Quote
“If we cannot get back to ourselves in the moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
Scripture
“This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." —Psalm 118:24
Thoughts
Peace is present, right here and now! It is within our selves and in everything we do and see. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. Peace is attained through mindfulness, by living in the present moment, by consciously, intentionally breathing in and releasing out. With how busy we all seem to be, we forget…we can so easily forget to be present in whatever activity we are engaged in at the moment. We have a tendency to be consumed by what occurred in the past or are fearful of what the future holds, and can lose track of what we are currently doing, of being present in the moment. How do we become more mindful, how do we live more in the present moment? And how do we find peace in our self and in our every step?
A place is to start is with this very easy, effective exercise. Doing this often during our day will assist us in connecting our body and mind; it is as easy as breathing and smiling! Breathe in and recite: “breathing in I calm my body" then breathe out while smiling and reciting "breathing out I smile" and do this three times. Do this often, in any position, at any time (sitting, lying, driving, walking, before you eat, before you wash the dishes, when you hear the phone ring....) and you will find yourself being calm, relaxed and peaceful.
Smile ~ right now, as you read this, smile. A smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. Practice smiling, smiling helps us approach our day with gentleness and understanding. As you hear a bird chirp, smile, when you feel the sun warm your body, smile, as you look at someone you care about, smile. Feel the smile, and feel how your body reacts when you smile. Smiling nourishes our awareness and calms us. This is creating mindfulness in the moment.
Consciously Breathe ~ when we focus on our breathing, our thinking slows down. Thinking is a wonderful thing, but too much of a good thing is not so good anymore is it? Breathing is the link between our mind and body. Often our mind is thinking one thing and our body is doing another…our mind and body are not unified. By concentrating on our breath, we bring our mind and body back into wholeness and alignment. Consciously breathing helps us to stop the chatter going on in the head, it quiets the mind and helps us to reconnect to ourselves. This is creating mindfulness in the moment.
The more often we practice this exercise, the more we sit and are present to the moment, when we breathe and smile, the more open we become to the natural peace, joy and wisdom of life in coming forth.
In Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, Peace is Every Step, he speaks about the bells of mindfulness. Church or temple bells remind us to come back to the present moment. Every time we hear a bell allow it to remind you to pause, to stop thinking and return to your self, to breathe in and out and smile! When the phone rings, don’t automatically reach for it, pause and breathe. Before you pick up the phone to call out, pause and breathe. When the door bell rings, or you stop at a red light, or you hear the siren of an emergency vehicle ~ pause, breathe in and release out. This practice will reduce stress and counteract depression. Another important practice is to eat mindfully. Be fully present as you sit with a plate of food in front of you. Turn off the television; take care to have no distractions in front of you. Look carefully at your food and those seated at the table with you. Take a moment to make a connection with the earth, the sun, and the people who grew or prepared the food. With every bite of food be aware of the smell, taste and texture of every morsel. Feel happy, thankful and blessed to have food, and feel compassion for those who don’t.
It doesn’t matter what activity you are engaged in, you can take a moment to be absolutely present with your self. There is a wonderful Buddhist saying that supports this practice: “Take care of this moment and you take care of all time.” Jesus found his inner peace to the point that nothing anyone did to him could ever take it from him. He found the Kingdom of God within himself! We may think we live in difficult times, but think about when Jesus lived, and what a troubled time it was to live under Roman domination. There were few rights and little civil liberty for the Jews of his time. But Jesus managed to find the peace that passes all understanding. He lived and modeled living mindfully. We need only slow down, be aware, and then practice the steps to mindful living. Peace is present, right here and now, within and all around each one of us, in every step! God bless you dear friends.
Prayer
Sweet presence of God, peace is all around me! With every breath I take, I draw in the liquid golden light of your love. With every breath I release, I let go of any tension, any concern I hold for my self, others or my world. With great intention and purpose, I am consciously aware of my choices and decisions. I feel your guidance dear God, and I go about my day feeling blessed and blessing others. Thank you, thank you, thank you God and so it is, Amen.
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