In my last blog I talked about mindfulness.  I encourage you to try a Walking Meditation. 
Find a place you can walk safely.  It can be outside in a spot special to you or in your yard.  Slowly walk, focusing on your walk a few steps for every in-breath and out-breath.  As you walk you can add a "gatha"... a breath phrase.  Plum Village suggests using one of the following:
     Breathing in “I have arrived”; Breathing out “I am home”
     Breathing in “In the here”; Breathing out “In the now”
     Breathing in “I am solid”; Breathing out “I am free”
     Breathing in “In the ultimate”; Breathing out “I dwell”
Repeat one of the phrases listed above as you walk and breath.
 Also try a  3-beat phrase from a favorite poem or song or prayer or Biblical passage. 
Example:  Breathing in: "Jesus loves me"  breathing out: "this I know:
Here is a longer gatha from Stillwater:
       The mind can go in a thousand directions.
       But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.   
       With each step, a gentle wind blows.
       With each step, a flower blooms

Hope you enjoy practicing walking meditation!
Please share your thoughts and experiences on this  blog or on Facebook at YWGrace.

     Mindfulness is being in the moment, being present in what you are doing.  For example, grab your favorite food.  Sit at the table without the TV and phone and other distractions.  Take a few breaths and then look at your favorite  food.  What does it look like? (colors, textures) Take a bite and slowly eat it: move the food around your mouth hitting the different taste buds that line your tongue.  Notice what your food feels like.  Continue to slowly eat your food focusing totally on the  process.
     Recently I had finished some yoga out on my deck and was seated on my mat on my deck.  I began to focus on my breath and found my eyes closing.  I found myself hearing all the noises around me the obvious and the subtle.  It was beautiful and so rich! I praised God for that special time.
     Taking time out of our day to be mindful helps us be more focused and at ease.  Did you know there are Mindfulness apps? (I should not have been surprised! This proves there are apps for everything!)
Check out the page from Plum Village that describes some apps:
           http://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/mindfulness-software/
     Some of the apps give you mindfulness techniques others just ring a bell on a random basis throughout the day to
     signal its time to be mindful. 
Here is a video about mindfulness by Plum Village.  It takes a few minutes and tells the story about mindfulness.
           http://wakeup.pageflow.io/the-miracle-of-mindfulness