Mindful Tasks

Weekends for a lot of us can mean catching up on the to do list, whether it is personal or for work, as it can be tempting to want to take advantage of having some extra time, but it can mean that we bounce from one thing to the next and arrive into Monday feeling tired and resentful from clearing away the week's mess to watering the plants or preparing meals. Carving time out of our Sundays to gear up for the week ahead is a normal thing to want to do, especially for those of us who like to plan. But before you start your day, ask yourself what can you do to appreciate the sensory experience that each task has to offer, no matter how mundane it is? In our meditation practice, we're reminded of the value of bringing our kind attention to all our experiences. Choosing to go about our lives mindfully, present and connected to what we are doing, helps to cultivate a deeper sense of awareness which helps us to feel more focused and productive. It might seem like the to do list is endless, but by crossing items off one steady step at a time you'll hopefully find yourself feeling more prepared to take on the week ahead. And if you do end up drifting towards the future, which is normal, gently bring your attention back to what is in front of you. Breathe, rest, regroup, and focus on all that you have accomplished so far, giving yourself opportunities to pause and reconnect with the intention that you set at the beginning of the day. So wherever you find yourself in the day, let's take some time now to bring our full attention into this moment. Getting into a comfortable position, not too rigid, but not too loose, allowing the shoulders to soften, the jaw to relax and noticing the sensations of the body pressing down, the different points of contact. Perhaps taking a deep cleansing breath or just staying with sensations in the body. And keeping the eyes open for a moment, focusing on one object in front of you, not staring at it too intently, aware of the space around you, but resting your attention, your awareness on this object, allowing thoughts to come and go, maintaining that awareness on this object, and then slowly zooming back out again, blinking the eyes a few times. And appreciate how it feels to have pause today, setting that intention to take that energy with you as you move throughout your day, throughout your to do list....