“Salvator Mundi” attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
There is a very interesting documentary now playing on Netflix about this newly discovered da Vinci painting. The program is entitled, "Da Vinci: The Lost Treasure". In it journalist Fiona Bruce receives an exclusive preview to an amazing artistic treasure.
(Note: This painting recently sold at auction for 450 million dollars - that's great and all, but that money sure would feed a lot of people - just sayin'.)
~*~
What are you doing right now?
What are you thinking.
What is going on around you?
What sounds do you hear?
How is your body feeling?
Today we are going to talk more about Mindfulness
I know I talk a lot about it
But for a very good reason
It has dramatically changed my life for the better
And I'd really like you to have this gift in your life
(Something you should know
Mindfulness is different from Meditation.
You don't have to Meditate to be Mindful
But you do have to be Mindful to Meditate.)
As I study and practice Mindfulness
My life is truly improving
I now catch myself thinking things
That normally would send me
Into a tailspin of depression
or an explosion of rage
Now - I am learning to watch myself
Like stepping out of myself
To be the watcher of my thinking and doings
Being more aware of my thoughts and feelings
Has helped me avoid living a life of mindless reactions.
It used to be like
When others would push my buttons
Ooooooo I was instant reaction
Reacting without thinking
Like a rudderless boat recklessly tossed about
by people and events around me.
Now, as I continue to grow in being Mindful,
It's like having a rudder to steady and steer my life
I can see obstacles that lay before me
I have time to decide how I will respond to life
I now see things about myself that I never saw before
I can now savor the moments of my life
On a deeper and richer level
And the really cool thing is...
It's really not difficult
I mean really
If I can gain from it - anyone can
It just requires you to make the effort to be aware
Of what's going on in each present moment
Whatever you are doing - pay attention to that
Be With That
Be Here, Now, in This Present Moment
Be aware of what you are doing
And it will benefit your life, too.
~AOM
Now here's some folks who do a good job explaining Mindfulness:
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While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes, one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance, that might seem a little silly: why put so much stress on a simple thing? But that’s precisely the point. The fact that I am standing there and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I’m being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There’s no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves.
While washing dishes, you might be thinking about the tea you’re going to drink afterwards, and so try to get them out of the way as quickly as possible in order to sit and drink tea. But that means that you are incapable of living during the time you are washing the dishes. When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you’re drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life.
In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future -and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh
(The Miracle of Mindfulness)
~*~
Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly alive, present and at one with those around you and with what you are doing. We bring our body and mind into harmony while we wash the dishes, drive the car or take our morning shower.
~unknown
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"Mindfulness simply means awareness. It's a direct, intuitive knowing of what you are doing while you are doing it. It's knowing what's going on inside your mind and body, and what's going on in the outside world as well.
Most of the time our attention is not where we intended it to be. Our attention is hijacked by our thoughts and emotions, by our concerns, by our worries for the future, and our regrets and memories of the past. Mindful awareness is about learning to pay attention, in the present moment, and without judgement. It's like training a muscle - training attention to be where you want it to be. This reduces our tendency to work on autopilot, allowing us to us choose how we respond and react."
In this video, mindfulness expert Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines "What is mindfulness?" and discusses the hard work and rewards of practicing mindfulness.
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn
"What is Mindfulness?"
YouTube Direct Link: https://youtu.be/HmEo6RI4Wvs
~*~
My go to book on the subject of Mindfulness is
Mindfulness In Plain English
by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
I bought it years ago
Because it actually is in plain English
Just what I was looking for
So many books get so complicated
But this one is very clear
The book I have is an early copy
They have recently updated it but I have not seen it yet
