I left my house unusually early today which required quietly creeping out of bed while the rest of my family remained asleep. Trying not to disturb anyone, I quickly sprang out of bed when my alarmed chimed, brushed my teeth and swiftly dressed in the clothes I laid out last night. I was so quick-paced with my morning ritual, I ended up having 15 minutes of time before needing to head out the door for my 6:52 A.M. train.
My first instinct was to grab my phone and aimlessly scroll through Facebook, Instagram and the morning news but, as I was sitting alone at my dining room table, I started to appreciate the serene peace around me. I noticed the sunlight filtering in from the freshly rained upon trees and the cool, moist air wafting in from the open windows. Instead of mindlessly staring at a 4-inch screen, disconnecting from myself and wasting time, I decided to return to my long-lost meditation practice.
I glanced around and felt beckoned to go sit in the sun room- aka – the playroom. The light filled room has always been one of my favorite places in my home and a place of great calm for me. I sat down in the middle of a thick green rug, closed my eyes and slowly started to turn inward. My mind raced through a thousand different thoughts. I allowed myself to recognize the various topics but made a concerted effort to let the thoughts drift by like clouds. After a few minutes, I felt back at home in the warmth and comfort of meditating. I could feel my body surrender to stress and tension I was not even aware of holding in my face and shoulders and my breath deepened to a slow and steady pace.
After the timer I set chirped to remind me I still needed to catch the early train, I had a refreshing 20-minute walk to the train and felt a surprising calm and grounded sensation throughout my mind and body. I had only sat down for about 7 minutes, but those 7 minutes were not filled with the distraction or the mindless clutter I am habitually drawn to.
I am not so bold as to declare I am going to reinstate a daily mediation practice – but I am going to make a greater effort of being mindful with my time. When an opportunity arises to step away from using technology or aimlessly flittering about, I will try to stop, get quiet and turn inward to my breath and body. (I wonder if my husband and children will notice?)
I invite you to examine your time, practices and habits and perhaps join me on this mindfulness practice.
