Daily Mindfulness

     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