I have been reading and re-reading my books by American, Tibetan Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön, contemplating and studying her teachings about staying present in one’s life. It is the key to living with an open heart. And when you open your heart, positive transformation occurs, giving access to what she refers to as the three basic human qualities: natural intelligence, natural warmth, and natural openness. Each of us can draw upon these qualities to help ourselves and to help others.
Being awake and fully present in any given moment requires receptivity and the ability to be fully conscious of whatever is happening, without withdrawing or retreating into states of distraction. This can sometimes be difficult to achieve, while at other times comes with more ease, depending on the mood or state we are in. Meditation practice is one way to train the mind to be more aware and come back to the present, over and over again. Although the book refers to meditation in terms of sitting still and attending to the breath, I have found that creating art (for me, that’s in the form of photography and abstract painting), gardening, walking in the forest, or sitting still in nature are my favorite forms of meditation. When I engage in these practices, I notice that my mind quiets and I become more fully alive and attuned to the present. Not only do they foster awareness, but also gift me with intense joy and a feeling of connectedness to a Great Love. Thoughts and feelings come and go; I observe them (trying not to get too tangled up in them), then release them and return again to the present moment.
In what ways can you invite meditation into your life, to cultivate a quieter mind, awareness, presence, an open heart, and a happier life filled with kindness toward self and toward others?
XO