Two winters ago, I took a meditation class and learned more about mindfulness than I ever had before. I learned how to experience it, and how to strive for mindfulness not just during an hour of sitting, but throughout my day no matter what I’m doing, from flossing my teeth to listening to a client.
One of our exercises was to be mindful of every doorway we went through, not for any esoteric reason but simply to practice being mindful. I learned that I am exceedingly unmindful of doorways. Another exercise was to be mindful in the kitchen while making food. This exercise grabbed ahold of me, and since then, I enjoy cooking in a way I never have before. I love feeling the texture of foods, savoring the variations in color and smell, and feeling my hands work.
Last week, I was grappling with a stressful situation in my professional life, trying to sort out the dynamics and understand how I could elevate what was happening to a more productive and peaceful place. The plainer truth is that I felt grumpy and angry, and hadn’t reached a place of resolution or peace for myself yet. At 5:30, I ended my work day (always a conscious decision because I work at home) and went into the kitchen to cook. Read more