Dear friends,
Welcome to this blessing for Thursday.
My wish is that these blessings,
One for each day of the week,
Will be a support that you can use from time to time and an encouragement in your good efforts.
We begin by taking a moment to bring ourselves into the here and now.
As you well know,
Sometimes the body is in one place,
But the mind is occupied far away.
So just for now,
See if you can reintroduce your mind and your body to each other in this room.
Find some spot upon which you can concentrate and see if you can place your attention there just for a few moments.
This is easier said than done,
But each time the mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to paying attention to the object which you have selected.
This is an exercise in concentration and a reminder to us of how difficult it can be to concentrate on what we are doing in the here and the now.
A short pause now for concentration before we move on to today's blessings.
May you remember to find moments for mindfulness as you go about your day.
The practice is helped by setting a time,
A few minutes for formal sitting,
Maybe in the morning,
Which I find easier to remember than in the evening.
But apart from those few minutes,
It is not a matter of trying to find time for mindfulness in the daily schedule.
The idea is to be mindful as we go about our normal day.
That short practice in the morning is an exercise,
Just an exercise,
And the exercise can be put into effect as we go through the day.
We might remember to be mindful as we eat,
Especially mindful as we automatically stretch out our hands for another snack.
We can be mindful as we walk.
Take a mindful breath before answering the phone.
Make time for a mindful second between one phone call and the next,
And between one task and the next.
Step off the treadmill.
Mindfulness then becomes part of your day,
Rather than a routine add-on to the already overburdened to-do list.
So,
A simple blessing for you today.
May you be mindful.
May you enjoy the happiness that comes from mindful living.
May you be less inclined to operate on autopilot.
May you take a breath before responding to life's irritations.
Day by day,
May you enjoy the happiness of a more mindful life.
Namaste.
