Читать книгу May I Sit with You? - Tom Catton - Страница 18
ОглавлениеMost of us can recall these two words; we’ve been hearing them from the time we could first understand language. When we reflect back to early childhood and throughout our school days, this spoken phrase stands out. It is also a favorite of the military; the command to “Attention!” is sounded off many times a day.
I had no idea I was being called to spiritual practice in my early childhood. Surely my parents, teachers, and commanding officer had no idea they were uttering words that would be so significant in meditation practice.
Meditation is essentially sustained concentration, and if practiced, it gives us the ability to walk peacefully amid the adversities of life—just by paying attention. Mindfulness is practicing the art of paying attention to what is. Mindfulness seems to be a gentler way of saying “pay attention.” Being present for our every moment is an exercise we can all do. No experience necessary. On-the-job training provided. Start now!
I saw a segment on CNN that said we have become a nation on medication. Let’s become a nation on meditation. Let us become spiritual warriors and help ourselves and others to practice what we have been called on to do since childhood: pay attention and be mindful.
I greet the early-morning darkness with a yawn and, focusing only on the sacredness of the moment, I prepare myself for practice. When you wake each day, even without a regular meditation practice, take a few breaths with the sole intention of paying attention. Try a ten-minute practice. With twenty-four hours in each day, taking this short time to sit and be mindful of your breath can be a game changer.
The simplicity of breathing in and being with that breath, then breathing out and knowing you are doing so, is the portal into the present moment. Let the breath become a personal mantra; when your attention is on the breath, you are being present.
While heart rate is a constant presence of the human life, it can deceive us in moments of fear or doubt as our blood flow increases and adrenaline surges through our bodies. Yet we can control our breathing; coming back to the moment naturally calms us, allowing the heart to follow our breath into the moment of now. Be mindful, as the next breath could contain the greatest joy you have ever experienced.
The practice of mindfulness brings great significance to the most mundane actions. The simple walk from one room to another, done with complete attention, can be like surfing a perfect wave. The present moment contains everything we are seeking. Practicing presence with all we do opens the door to joy, and being truly present for others is an offer of humble holiness and service. We are of service to others by giving our personal attention to each individual we encounter on our journey through life.
The occupation of mindfulness has my complete attention. For all those who practice, it is job security for a lifetime. Each moment we begin anew, returning to the breath, to the moment we are involved in now.
“When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited” was one of many realizations by the nineteenth-century Hindu mystic Sri Ramakrishna. Our own blossoming occurs in meditation, and we experience peace as we begin to unfold like Ramakrishna’s proverbial flower. The simplicity of paying attention to our breath finds its way into all areas of life. Practicing mindfulness turns our daily routines into both a sacred and practical path; we find magic while embracing each moment and each other. The next time someone says “Pay attention,” let it be your reminder to become mindful of the present, beautiful moment.
