My Pilgrimage with the woman in my mirror

More thoughts for "First things First"

And the first “First” is always this reminder:

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIVING IN THE PRESENT.

Welcome back to my walk toward a more peaceful Jane brain and more joyful Jane heart. Becoming mindful of my present day to day life has become an intentional act. Last week, in hopes that some of you might want to join me, I began by introducing a few books that I thought helpful for any who are either beginning or re-visiting the practices of living mindfully and meditation. Now, in part two, I want to share another aspect of experiencing the mindfulness process.

If you’re just joining with me, here’s a quick, animated look at unpacking basic concepts of mindful meditation:

You can find meditation options of all shapes and sizes, and not only in text. Audio and visual opportunities are also in abundance. Available from 3 minutes to well over an hour, they are crafted to help you discover the kind and style of practice that fit your lifestyle needs and your mind and heart’s desires. Check out the following examples of ways to explore mindfulness through guided meditations.

~ “Short Calming Mindfulness Meditation to Clear the Clutter in your Mind” comes from The Mindful Movement. This guided meditation is a little over 7 minutes; its narrative is easy to follow.

~ From WiseMindBody comes a 9-minute guided meditation: “Mindfulness Meditation to help Relieve Anxiety and Stress.” The narrator’s voice and the music have been called pleasantly calming. You’ll find a mixture of quiet and voice over.

~ Daily Calm brings guided meditations to listeners every day through subscription. This one, “10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation - Letting Go,” provides a slightly different style than the other two.

How are things going as you walk your own particular path? I’m meditating (in various forms) again most mornings and finding myself more calm and present throughout the day. In fact, I notice I’m actually starting to enjoy what’s going on around me rather than labeling the unexpected as distractions. Interruptions to my fast-paced life that were annoying only weeks ago, now seem more like neutral or even pleasant encounters. Hmmm . . . Interesting . . .

Intentionally pick your path and walk with me, my friend.

Jane