Mindful Poetry Day 10
Embracing Formal Practice: Tasting Mindfulness
Have you ever had the experience of stopping so completely?
of being in your body so completely,
of being in your life so completely
that you knew and what you didn’t know
that what had been and what was yet to come,
and the way things are right now
no longer held even the slightest hint of anxiety or discord?
It would be a moment of complete presence, beyond striving,
beyond mere acceptance,
beyond the desire to escape or fix anything or plunge ahead,
a moment of pure seeing, pure feeling,
a moment in which life simply is,
and that “isness” grabs you by all your senses,
all your memories, by all your very genes,
by your loves, and
welcomes you home
By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
Here is a step by step guide on how to engage with this practice:
- Each day I will post a careful selected poem
- Find a quiet place, sit comfortable and read the poem aloud to yourself, preferable more than once. An audio recording will also be available in case you prefer to listen to the poem
- Take the poem into your heart and your body. Become intimate with it and allow it to guide you into intimacy with yourself
- Allow a spaciousness of interpretation, openness of the senses and a deep experience of understanding, distinct from cognitive comprehension.
- Spend some time with the poem, as a way of choosing to be present and mindful.
- Bring the poem into your family and community. Share your experience with your loved ones, including Mindful Brain Community.
