People sometimes talk about mindfulness as if it's something rare or elevated.
A special state.
A spiritual achievement.
But that's not really the kind of mindfulness I'm about to talk about.
Not the wow of enlightenment.
Not the wow of peak experiences or mystical fireworks.
No revelations are required.
No special experiences to chase.
The wow I'm talking about is much quieter.
It happens when the ordinary comes back to life.
When the world shifts from dull and muted colours into something bright,
Vivid,
With deep texture.
Nothing dramatic changes.
In fact,
Nothing changes other than our being aware of it.
Everything feels different.
It's like noticing a sparrow properly for the first time.
The bird you thought was just brown.
Until you really look and suddenly there are greys and rusts and silvers.
Pattern.
Detail.
Presence.
Of course the sparrow hasn't changed.
You have.
The same is true of everything else.
Washing dishes stops being a chore to get through and becomes an experience.
The play of light in the bubbles.
The warmth of the water.
The simple,
Steady movement of hands.
Eating is another doorway.
That familiar slice of cheese.
Nothing fancy.
Maybe just boring old cheddar.
And yet suddenly it's as if the taste buds spring to life.
It feels rich,
Complex and alive.
Not because the food improved,
But because attention returned.
So many times on retreat,
When I've become really still.
I've eaten porridge.
Something I'd turn my nose up at.
And the texture and the taste blow my mind because I'm really there.
This is the quiet miracle of mindfulness.
The world was never flat or lifeless.
We were just elsewhere.
Lost in thought.
Carrying yesterday and leaning into tomorrow.
And when we came back,
Even briefly,
Everything was already waiting.
All of this is here now.
Nothing extra is required.
Just presence.
And the simplest way I know how to practice that presence is meditation.
Not to escape life,
But to step back into it.
Again and again.
Tomorrow we'll look at one of the reasons this feels so hard.
The invisible weight we carry around all day.
The thoughts,
Stories and worries we haul with us everywhere.
Tomorrow it's about ditching the rucksack.
And if this is the first time you've listened to everyday stillness,
Go back and listen at number one and work your way through with me.
And if you'd like to discuss this,
These findings,
Meet like-minded friends,
Meditate together.
And find the group on here that I started specifically for this.
It's called Everyday Stillness.
Have a wonderful day.
