Mindfulness

Mindfulness...

There is a lot to be said about this kind of practice, whether in closed-eyes-feet-in-Lotus-pose or merely walking along, being conscious of everything you feel and see.

I wish I could say I was mindful all the time, but I can't. I wish to be more mindful, to tell you the truth. Don Juan Matus (from the Carlos Castaneda books) called it "The Second Attention." Mary Morrissey simply calls it "notice what you're noticing."

But does it really matter what you call it as long as you're doing it?

I don't think so.

I'm writing about this today because I haven't been very mindful of my goals to write here at least three times a week. I've been more "mindful" of my goals for my eBay store. I'm pretty excited about them, too. But I love writing, too...as well as the divination work I'm doing among other things I've been considering but haven't done yet either because of fear or that I haven't found a time-activity balance yet.

I'm mindful of the employment and Medicaid applications I haven't finished. But I slip into mindlessness when I get distracted by things I'd rather be doing.

And the fact that I'm noticing this mindlessness should tell me something. Mindfulness tells me to just sit with the noticing and say, "Okay, that's interesting that I'm in this state of mind," and to just sit with no judgement, only loving detachment and say, "What's really going on here?" That's the Wise Counselor part of me that sees an issue, but doesn't judge my very human, reactive side so accustomed to judgement from others, let alone self-judgement. She just says, "All right, so you slipped up. Everyone does this at one point or another. And maybe there's a reason you're doing this. Maybe there is something at the root of this procrastination. But in the meantime, let's get the employment application finished."

That part of me is the gentle teacher who, unlike my Earthly teachers, doesn't scold me for "not managing time well."

And I think this Wise Counselor part of me has come forth because of my continued working with my friend Karma, who is very forgiving. She's taught me about being forgiving towards myself, let alone other people. In fact, I think that's one of my major life lessons this time around.

But back to mindfulness...hehehe...oh my mind does love going off on tangents. It loves going off on tangents so much I should give my mind its own geometry theorem. :P

Which leads me to a very important question: Can mindfulness meditation keep me from being so easily distracted by things/activities that are not essential to the task/activity I'm engaged in?

The simple, intuitive answer is: Yes. Yes it can.

Can mindfulness meditation bring me back from Distraction Land when I'm interrupted by my dad and his nonessential yakkity-yakking?

Again, I feel the answer is: Yes.

My intuition is also telling me that mindfulness meditation can also bring me the peace of mind that allows me to forgive myself and others a lot easier.

Just talking about mindfulness (along with hearing this really chillaxing melody-with-background-water-sounds on Pandora) is putting me in this really Zen state of mind where I'm looking at everything going on, smiling at myself and saying, "Goodness, she has so many interests, so many things she adores, and she feels like she's completely abandoning something if she focuses on just one or two things. She wants to find a proper time-place for everything, even things like video games and reading a good book."

Just the fact that it is nearly closing time at the library and I am still writing this instead of finishing the job application tells me something important.

Even the 6-card reading I did with Colette Baron-Reid's "Enchanted Map" deck told me I need to quit struggling mentally and listen within for answers.

The Ascended Masters deck has been bringing me the "Meditation" card a LOT lately.

So the fact that there was a meditation article from Yoga Journal that caught my eye today before setting up my computer is also telling me to slow down and just breathe...be mindful of where I am without judgement of "why I haven't done x, y, or z." Life is not an algebra problem where you absolutely have to find "x" or fail the test.

Life is a lot more fluid than that. And though we try to box life in with schedules and such that help us keep on track with things we wish to do during the course of a business day, things will crop up during that business day over which we have zero control.

Like the time the library closes for example. :P

So...I'm going to go do my best to be mindful the rest of the day...and tomorrow, Friday, and so on...I feel it will help. :-)

Namaste and Blessings,
Kat ^.^