A simple mindfulness practice to get into the present moment

Meditation is about learning how your mind works. The quote from Andy Puddicombe of the headspace caught my attention this past week. My meditation journey began during the 2020 COVID lockdowns when it seemed like a good idea considering all that was happening worldwide. Over the last few years, I have made it a part of my morning ritual. My reason for meditating was to learn how to destress and calm down, but learning how my mind works was interesting. So this week, I began to be an observer of my thoughts. The first lesson was learning the difference between an observer and a critic. I saw the difference. The second lesson I learned was how to be a gentle redirector of my thoughts. The third lesson was to name what was the next event.

  For example, in my doctoral program, I spend a great deal of time writing papers and reading on Saturdays and Sundays. So as I sat in the coffee shop on Saturday morning, I thought, ok, the next thing I want to do is finish the paper, then finish the reading, then take the quiz, then write the next paper.

 I paused. I looked down at the papers in front of me. The next thing to do was to read page five of the journal article, then page six, then page seven. Reading those pages was what was next.

 In meditation, the term getting into the present moment is spoken a great deal. It can seem that getting into the present moment is some mystical experience that a wise Yoda-type individual can only accomplish. Getting into the present moment involves naming what you are doing. At this moment, my hands are on a keyboard. What is your current present moment? Name it. See, you are in it; now, wasn’t that easy? How can you be an observer of your thinking this week?