intricate workings of nature. I would watch a caterpillar nibbling away at a leaf bite by tiny bite. I could stare at moss so closely I could imagine that it was a miniature forest within a forest, perhaps home to it's own tiny world invisible to the human eye. Especially in nature I would immerse my senses with every element of my surroundings and I experienced complete peace and harmony in those moments. I didn't know it as such at the time, but I was practicing mindfulness.
I feel as though I frequently talk about living mindfully or practicing mindfulness, but in my own adult reality it is something that I struggled with for years. I learned about the concept of mindfulness, in stages throughout my life as a recurring theme that has evolved throughout the years. I was initially introduced to the concept from my mother who is a practicing Buddhist. In later years it cropped up in books and articles I was reading about spirituality or self help. In therapy I was taught mindfulness practice as a method to quiet the racing thoughts and cravings that hijacked my mind and even my body driving me to moments of panic and fear. In my weekly yoga class, I learned from my wonderful instructor that mindfulness is key to getting the most out of one's practice. Finally in my training as a counselor I was mentored and trained to assist my clients to use mindfulness in their healing process.
Yet even with all this wonderful advice and information, I often felt I had to really push myself, to remind myself to be mindful. It wasn't something that came naturally to me as it had when I was very young.
Now after years of "practice", a funny thing has happened. Suddenly, it's coming back to me. In fact in the past week or so I have spent little time writing and very much time listening, observing and sensing the world around me. I've also been mindful enough of my own state being to know that for whatever reason, this is what my whole Self needs at this time. It's like craving a certain food, if you suddenly have an unquenchable taste for greens your body probably needs calcium.
Thinking back over the past couple of months I realize I have had a sort of spiritual craving, a sensory craving to take in all that is in my environment, to observe, to listen, to feel. There is something I need, there is an unnamed desire.
I have come to a point in life where I am now living alone, my youngest child now almost 19 is on his own. I am unemployed along with all of the paradoxical freedom and restriction that accompanies that status. I am not involved in a relationship of the romantic sort. The Occupy movement which I had devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to is undergoing a quiet transformation. I have recently hit the point that I can safely say I am fully recovered from my Interferon/Ribavirin treatment and physically and mentally as good as I'm gonna get. I have had the feeling of being at a crossroads wondering where I go from here. I feel like I'm on the threshold of...something. I'm just not sure what. Yet.
I think this 'craving' the need to listen, to observe, to absorb the world around me is a message from my higher self. It's telling me that if I am to make choices about what comes next, starting a project, connecting with people in my community or maybe even something I haven't imagined yet that I need to pay attention to what life has to offer. I also know from past experience that a door that is open to opportunity needs some monitoring. In case you haven't guessed by now I have been known to be somewhat impulsive in my decision making at certain times in my life; sometimes with disastrous results. And even when not walking blindly into disaster I have sometimes missed out on the beauty and joy of the simple things life has to offer, all because I was so busy chasing that crazy train that ran in circles around my mind.
To follow up on my last post, one of the joys of getting older is being able to slow down, to get off that train and suddenly mindfulness climbs into your lap like a well loved feline.
I also recently talked about procrastination, but I don't think that's the case, yet. I will trust my heart and mind to work together and to let me know when to take the next step...and then I will most likely procrastinate just a little bit. If I'm lucky now that I've put that out there in the Universe, someone will let me know. You will, won't you?
© 2010-2012 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard
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