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Mindfulness is a practical tool we can use to know ourselves better and navigate life with skill and freedom of choice. The goal of mindfulness is not to reach some lofty state of bliss, relaxation, or empty mind. It is, rather, the practice of engaging with each unfolding moment in open curious presence. Meeting yourself just as you are is an act of courage. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Mindfulness practice isn’t meant to eliminate thinking but aims rather to help us know what we’re thinking when we’re thinking it…like going into an old attic room and turning on the light. In that light we see everything—the beautiful treasures we’re grateful to have unearthed; the dusty, neglected corners that inspire us to say, “I’d better clean that up”; the unfortunate relics of the past that we thought we had gotten rid of years ago. We acknowledge them all, with an open, spacious, and loving awareness.
―Sharon Salzburg
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For those of us walking the path of self-reflection, it is somehow comforting to know that we are always learning, evolving, and awakening, while at the same time carrying our same old wounded self with tender loving care. Those triggers still trigger us. Those buttons still get pushed. It’s as though we are simultaneously circling outward and inward, uncovering old ways and new insights. We are not linear beings but circles rippling the surface and revealing the depths. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Where you are going
and the place you stay come to the same thing. What you long for and what you've left behind are as useless as your name. Just one time, walk out into the field and look at that towering oak-- an acorn still beating at its heart. ―Peter Levitt Permanence is an illusion. While we may have people and experiences that linger longer in our lives, the truth is that everything comes and goes. Your thoughts, moods, successes, failures, and even your challenges eventually shift into something else. Our familiar pattern is to cling to what we want and push away what we do not want. Remembering that all experiences are fleeting may invite us to really be present for each moment of life, the pleasant and the difficult. Life itself is fleeting. And rich. You may not want to miss a moment while wishing for something else. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush The knowledge of impermanence that haunts our days is their very fragrance.
―Rainer Maria Rilke While the past can be reviewed and retold in stories and accounts, and the present can be felt with all of your senses, the future remains elusive. Truth is, we never know just how the next moment will unfold. We can make plans and take steps in a particular direction, but uncertainty is always with us. How might you become more comfortable with “living the questions”? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
―Rainer Maria Rilke An extraordinarily unique and challenging year is nearing completion. Likely you have experienced moments of frustration, acceptance, sadness, joy, worry, trust, fear, and courage. Perhaps your world was turned upside down; your perception of what is true was tested. You may have resisted and you may have adapted. You might even have found silver linings. As this year ends and another begins, we cannot help but hope for a better future. And yet, as always, much remains complex, nebulous, and incomplete. The question then is whether we can find satisfaction and even peace, knowing that our strengths and our weaknesses make us complete. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush When the mind is at peace,
the world too is at peace. Nothing real, nothing absent. Not holding on to reality, not getting stuck in the void, you are neither holy nor wise, just an ordinary fellow who has completed his work. ―Layman P’ang The winter solstice reminds us that darkness and light dance in rhythms, every year, every day, every breath. With an exhale, we release this past year. And in the pause before the next breath begins, we rest in trust. Trust is softening into knowing that another inhale, another day, another new beginning will come in its own time. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush What to Do in the Darkness
Go slowly Consent to it But don't wallow in it Know it as a place of germination And growth Remember the light Take an outstretched hand if you find one Exercise unused senses Find the path by walking it Practice trust Watch for dawn. ―Marilyn Chandler McEntyre In these darker days with another year coming to an end, we pause to reflect, reassess, and renew. Just as there is a centered calm available in the midst of chaos, there is a vibrant animated heart beating within the quiet. This is a time for withdrawing inward, not constricting from the world in fear, but gently aerating the soil within, preparing the ground for the seeds of a fresh start. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible; to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom, and that which came to me as blossom, goes on as fruit. ―Dawna Markova In observing your own mind, you may find that much of your thinking is focused on future and past moments. Rarely are we ever fully present. Experiencing this moment now with all of your senses—touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound—can help you tune in. It takes courage to center yourself in awareness, shining a light into the shadows and being open to what we find. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.
―Thich Nhat Hanh It is human nature to want to fix things, to find a solution, to tie it up in a bow and move on. Whether we’re on a journey of physical or mental health issues or both, healing can seem like that carrot at the end of the stick that we can never reach. Rather counterintuitively, mindfulness practices help us get in touch with and explore our discomfort, taking an active role in meeting ourselves where we are rather than getting lost in distraction and wanting something else. True healing might be expressed as fully experiencing your disappointment, shame, anger, loss, and fear, then welcoming the power and clarity of knowing it is okay to be exactly as you are. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush When we can actually be where we are, not trying to find another state of mind, we discover deep internal resources we can make use of. Coming to terms with things as they are is my definition of healing. It’s very healing to realize, if only for a moment here and a moment there, that you can be in a wiser relationship with your interior experience than just being driven by liking it or hating it.
―Jon Kabat-Zinn We experience joy when something sparks a state of pure happiness, an outpouring of appreciation and delight. Your ability to feel the fullness of joy can become blocked, overwhelmed by worry, anger, fear, sadness, striving, resisting. It is important to experience all of our emotions, the pleasant and the unpleasant. What can you let go of to make room for joy to shine through? What brings you to that state of delight? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.
―Zhuangzi An important aspect of being human is the drive to take action, to learn, to grow, to create change. When we are not happy with the way things are, we may feel an impulse to take positive steps in a different direction. Discontent and drive have inspired our species to create tools, electricity, computers, commerce, and to advance civilization in so many ways. And yet, it may be interesting to notice that we—and our brains—often spend more time searching for something different and less time resting into the contentment of now. If this is a relatively safe and peaceful moment, why do we resist letting it just be? Both drive and contentment can co-exist as a harmonious flow. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Be yourself.
Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be. ―Thich Nhat Hanh It seems that people, societies, and cultures place such a value on “doing.” We strive to keep busy, motivated, and achieve. If we happen to have a moment without something needing our immediate attention, we may even feel the need to create something to do—to fill the time as if it is wasted if we are not accomplishing something. What if we allowed those quieter moments just to be, or even created space for non-doing? Perhaps scheduling in time to just “air out” the mind and heart, let the body rest into healing, and find value in pure presence. We may find there is a lot happening in those moments of non-doing, where we process, recover, and renew ourselves. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Non-doing is not doing nothing.
―Jon Kabat-Zinn To be united is the opposite of being divided. If we look to the root of all beings, there is much common ground. We all need to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel valued. When we do not, we manifest our fears in different ways. Sometimes we turn those deficiencies inward, being unkind to ourselves. Sometimes we turn those deficiencies outward, being unkind to others. Owning and integrating your own divisions of light and shadow allows you to model unity as you engage in community. May we each walk the path of presence, continually cultivating unity within, carrying wholeness into the world at large. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn't make any sense. ―Rumi A skillful sailor or surfer knows how to work with the ever-changing winds and waves, adapting and shifting the course as needed. We too can become skillful at navigating the elements, riding waves of joy and sadness, compassion and anger, wanting and resistance. It starts with letting go of the hope or expectation that someday there will be no waves. Once we accept that change and challenge are a part of life, we can work with and adapt to those waves, surfing with presence, flexibility, and power. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush You can't stop the waves but you can learn how to surf.
―Jon Kabat-Zinn Sometimes it is interesting to pause and reflect on how you have changed over the years. If life were always rosy, you would have had no need to evolve and change. Honor all those times you were challenged, as they continue to mold who you are becoming every day. You are changing, and yet in many ways you are becoming who you already were, underneath the layers of life’s conditioning. How have you changed over the course of your life? Have you become more “comfortable in your own skin”? Did you let go of a biased perception? Are you less quick to anger? Do you choose your relationships more carefully? Have you learned to slow down? Have you found your voice? What is changing within you now? What is being revealed that has been there all along? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift. ―Mary Oliver Well, there’s a word that may have sparked a groan upon reading. Discipline…ugh. Discipline may evoke a feeling of having to do something we’re told, when we’d really rather be doing something else. What if we reframe our approach and consider that discipline does not close us down but rather opens us up? Doing something regularly, even tediously, gives us the opportunity to reconnect with our senses, to discover the profound within the simple, and to explore old information in new ways. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush The word discipline comes from disciple, someone who is in a position to learn. ―Jon Kabat-Zin
This week, we honor the power of the pause. Before you jump right into the next word, meal, activity, or reaction, remember to pause. This interrupts your autopilot. A well-timed pause may just invite a deeper breath, a wiser thought, and a calmer heart, followed by skillful action. That brief moment between trigger and response can be empowering. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Silence is a source of great strength.
—Laozi It is interesting to observe how often we adapt to those around us. We may have a “work self,” a “partner self,” a “parent self,” and so on. Yes, we often need to modulate our words and actions to get along and to facilitate a smooth flow in relationship with others. And it is also vital to have time spent alone, to explore your true nature, without influence. Whether it is on the yoga mat, the meditation cushion, or just resting in nature, your true self is calling. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush We are constantly invited to be who we are.
―Henry David Thoreau You are an energetic being. The universe is an endless ocean of energy. If you’ve been feeling small and insufficient, expand your field of awareness and let oceans, skies, and vast realms of space breathe through you. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush You are not a drop in the ocean.
You are the entire ocean in a drop. ―Rumi This is an invitation to allow the word here to be with you this week. Like a touchstone, here echoes in your mind throughout the day, as a reminder to come back to this moment now. To feel your body. To sense the ground and space around you. Like a mini-meditation, you remember to be present. After all, when is it ever not now? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are.
―Jon Kabat-Zinn |
AuthorLori Furbush teaches Qigong, Yoga, Reiki, & Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She weaves MINDFULNESS & RELAXATION into every moment. Archives
January 2021
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