Mindfulness

My mind is quite capable of being in three different places while my body is making a cup of coffee. Perhaps yours is too. Mindfulness gives me a way of returning to the cup, the smell, the warmth and the moment I am actually living.

It has roots in Buddhist practice, but you do not have to adopt a belief system or arrange your life around it. For me, it is a practice of paying attention with a little less judgement.

Begin with something ordinary

Choose something you do every day: drinking tea, washing a plate, walking to the door. Notice what you can see, hear and feel. If you find yourself planning tomorrow or replaying yesterday, you have not failed. Notice where your mind went, and come back to the thing in front of you.

You can also pause and feel your feet on the floor. Listen for a sound nearby, then one farther away. Notice your breathing without trying to make it special. A minute or two is a perfectly good beginning.

Some days I find this restful; on others I become aware of how restless I am. That is information too. The aim is not to force yourself into calm, but to meet the present moment a little more honestly.

If you would rather have a voice to follow, here is a gentle guided recording lasting seven minutes and forty seconds. Find a comfortable place and see what you notice.