Mindful Living: Living in the Present Moment

The practice of mindful living and even the term itself continues to gain popularity and practicality. For me, this is an incredible gift and a very encouraging notion. Since my blog is titled Mindful Living I think it’s only fitting that we have an entry dedicated to more specifically define for you what mindful living is. I would also like to explore how mindful living can initiate profound shifts in the mind and on your journey to living the life you deserve.

With the incredibly busy lives we all live how many times do we mindlessly move through our daily tasks, checking items off our schedule like a checklist? How many times do we forget how we got something done, or how we got from one location to the next?

Mindful living has been described not only as a practice but an art. What I believe is so impactful about the practice of mindfulness is it is a practice for anywhere, everywhere and for every moment. You don’t need any fancy equipment, clothing, or any electronic devices. When we practice mindfulness or being in the present moment we practice it with everything we do. We can practice mindfulness when we breathe, eat, walk, exercise, or even wash dishes. As our mindfulness practice progresses, things that we once thought of as tasks on our daily checklist begin to transform themselves into moments of appreciation, happiness, and joy thereby creating an overall greater sense of inner peace.

I was first introduced to the idea of mindfulness and mindful living through the incredible teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. In very simplistic terms (for the sake of the length of this blog) Master Hanh’s teachings embody the idea of mindful living and living in the present moment. He teaches us to be mindful in the fact that we do not need to search for joy or happiness because it already resides within us. One of my favorite mindfulness practices come from the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Waking up this morning I smile.

I have twenty- four hours to live

I vow to live them deeply

and learn to look at the beings around me with the eyes of compassion.

For me this mindfulness practice is a promise and commitment to make the most of each moment of each and every day. This practice reminds us that we are seeking to tap into and embrace a life of inner peace, joy and happiness. I encourage you to add this to your daily sacred ritual practices. Try this practice every day for 30 days by saying these words as soon as you wake up every morning. Say them even before you get out of bed. I encourage you to take notice and write down what powerful transformational shifts you begin to see occurring in your life.

If you are looking for 1:1 guidance on sacred ritual practices that you can implement into your daily routine for healing and initiating transformational shifts please visit the Guided Transformation Sessions tab on this site.