Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness is all about being here in the present.  It’s about appreciating things while they’re in front of you.  Mindfulness can be achieved through meditation.  So recently I decided to give this old Buddhist practice a go and try my hand at meditation.  I kind of had a rough start, not knowing how to clear my mind.  Eventually, I went on the Internet and found this meditation guide written by Joseph Emet.  It went like this:

TAKE YOUR TIME Take your time breathing in, breathing out, Look deeply as you say "This is me", You and your breath, you and the wind, As humming bird and flower, have always been together.Take gentle steps, feel the ground curl your toes, Is there a line between you and this path? You and your step, you and this earth, As butterfly and blossom, have never been apart.

At first I thought it was a little silly, but I decided to give it a try anyway.  It was a nice day, so I stepped out into my back yard walked around a bit, and read this paragraph to myself.  It took me a while but in time I sat down, and was able to settle my mind to some extent.  I tried to only pay attention to the things that were happening at the present moment.  I thought about the feel of the gras, the slight breeze and the warm temperature of the air.  I noticed the humming of my pool sweep as it cleaned.  I tried to forget about the previous things that had happened that day, and to stay in the current moment.  When I felt I got distracted, I tired to focus on my breathing.

http://www.mysacredgarden.com/Meditation-Gardens.html

I really worked hard at trying to star focus and I think at some points I achieved the desired states, because I would have an itch or something but realize that prior to that itch I had no idea what I was thinking about, and perhaps I wasn’t thinking about anything at all.  Perhaps I had briefly been able to empty my mind.  

At the end of the experience I felt tranquil.  I think that this is something that I should work to do more often. It’s a lot less stressful if you just live in the present and fretting so much about the past and future.