Meditation
in daily life
When you
wake up in the morning, allow yourself some
deep slow, breaths before you get out of bed. See if you can be aware
of your breathing and of making the transition from sleeping to waking.
Be aware of the sound, the quality of light, or the darkness. Feel each
in-breath calm your body and mind, and each out-breath release any
tension or thoughts you're holding. Try smiling and see what happens.
Take a few minutes, either at home or on
your
way to
work, to notice something enjoyable about the morning: perhaps the
sunlight or the rain or the face of your child or a flower or the
sounds of birds or the wind. See if you can allow yourself and your
surroundings to inhabit the same space.
On your way to work or school, or to
appointments or
your other daily errands, try to be mindful of your traveling. Be aware
of your walking, your sitting on the subway, your strap hanging on the
bus, or your sitting while you are riding in a car. If you are driving
a car or riding a bicycle or motorcycle, try to be aware of your
driving or riding. Do your best to allow your steps and actions to be
peaceful ones.
Many things happen every day that you can use as
bells of mindfulness: the doorbell, the telephone, sounds on your
computer, turning on a light, flushing a toilet, and so on. Let each
one be an occasion to notice your breathing and allow some mindful in-
and out-breaths. When the telephone rings, let it ring two or three
times before you answer it. This is a great contradiction to our
conditioning. Remember, if they really want to talk with you, they
won't hang up!
As you go to bed and prepare for sleep, take some
mindful breaths, become aware of the bed supporting you, and allow
yourself a smile. Feel the muscles of your body relaxing as you sink
into your bed. Try letting go of the past day's activities and of your
anticipation of tomorrow. See whether you can end the day with a smile.
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