meditation, mindfulness and the art of being utterly present

There has always been a stigma surrounding meditation. The word invokes a Tibetan monk, clad in the monastic robes. He is perched in a solitary beam of light in the pose... There is nothing wrong with this picture, and we can certainly all aspire to find the peace that these monks possess; however, the reality of the matter is that we, the general population do not live in a Tibetan monastery where we can focus our days on enlightenment and spend hours sitting in meditation.

That's okay. These things are not necessary for bringing yourself into the peace of the present. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk who has shared his beautiful insights with the world: teachings and writings alike, gives us a practical path to follow. He teaches that we must spend our days in mindfulness, and be utterly present. He teaches that meditation, peace and presence do not require us to sit and be still with our eyes closed, but can be practiced throughout our days.

The key to this, is to simply bring your awareness into the moment that you are in. Throughout the day as we preform the various tasks necessary for our lives, we can simply be mindful of our thoughts, when they wander, reign them in. When our thoughts travel into the realm of anxiety for future happenings, come back to the present. You are are here, in this body, breathing. You are safe. You are whole. You are enough. When you thoughts get wrapped up in past happenings that you feel shame or remorse for, come back to the present. You are here, in the body ,breathing. You are safe. You are whole. You are enough.