Whenever we live through extreme events, ones of great joy, horrible tragedy, or cataclysm, that moment is engraved into our minds forever. That moment is memorable because all our actions, thoughts, feelings are focused or greatly affected by the event. Whether traumatic, blissful, or something that just halts us in our tracks, it is emblazoned on our minds. As a result, there is an aliveness that arises in us, thus providing great power at our fingertips.
The practice of Mindfulness Meditation is the art of focusing our bodies and minds to have greater awareness in this moment. On a normal day, we sit calmly in meditation, turn on the lights of our body sensation, just noticing.....ourselves....and our environment. It is tremendously healing, calming, and relaxing. In the moment of an extreme occurrence, the lights of our body sensation are already turned on. It might be extreme happiness, fight or flight, or a fear of the unknown. But the acute awareness is already there. Let's harness it!
We are living through a moment right now that we will never forget. What is it that arises in your mental, emotional, and physical state from this? Whatever it is, it is all good from the mindfulness perspective, and it is that attitude in the teachings and in the practice that puts our sympathetic nervous systems to rest. Simply stated, that is because it is what it is. We have very little control, but we can control our perspective.
For those of you who have had a meditation practice, you know that this moment is well served by your having done that. It has built a spiritual reservoir for inner peace that you can bring with you to any situation in your life. You know that now is the moment that you can shift the mind to work for you and not against you. In the face of all of us feeling more vulnerable and more human right now, living mindfully might simply lead you to decide to: be kinder, forgive someone, cultivate compassion, change bad habits, help someone, or deepen and settle your experience as a human and learn to meditate.
