Mindfulness - Are you paying attention?

Mindfulness is one of the trendiest "buzzwords" today. I recently bought this shirt that relays the spirit of mindfulness. In it's simplest form, mindfulness truly is just becoming attuned to your surroundings as you experience them, letting go of other thoughts that interfere with the enjoyment of the "now". Noting sounds, temperatures, lighting, things, breezes, aromas, textures, and of course, living creatures in their regalia and personality.

One of the easiest places for me to experience being totally in the moment is with music. For me, it is absolutely delicious to all of my senses and it allows me to totally get out of my head and into the moment. The pure vibration alone creates a desire to move and experience the rhythm; the beauty of the mixture of instruments, melody, harmony bring immense pleasure to my soul; the message within the lyrics connects me to emotion. When I listen to music, I am so entranced that I am moved to sway, dance, and even sing with abandon.

A challenge for you today - take a color walk. It could be in your workplace, outdoors, in a mall -anywhere you choose. Set a timer, perhaps on your phone, for 15 minutes. Pick a color, start walking, and stay silent as you observe your surroundings and discover things you may have not noticed before. After your walk, think about how you feel. If you are inclined (which would make this more fun) leave a comment in the space below . We can share our discoveries. I will be posting later after my walk today!

Update 2:30 pm - I ended up making it a color drive and looked for orange (also affiliated with the root chakra) while driving. Interesting observations - many signs have orange in them, there is orange on reflectors and some automobile lights, the line down Columbia Road was startlingly bold and orange, of course, orange cones abound...orange in some books and binders I noted as I left my vehicle and went to appointments. Orange has a tremendous number of hues, from subtle to bold. I felt enlivened and focused as I observed...it made me realize how out of touch I am as I go about the day. Something to work on as I "live in the moment"....

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