"You will enjoy any activity in which you are truly present, any activity that is not just a means to an end.It isn't the action you perform that you really enjoy, but the deep sense of aliveness that flows into it."
Eckhart Tolle from Oneness With All Life
What Tolle is speaking to here is being alert in our daily activities in such a way as to promote stillness within you that is "the background of the activity". (Tolle) Immediately my mind went to the yea buts which included things I don't like to do ie how can I possibly enjoy them? But upon looking more closely, I found that many of the daily activities which can be tedious and which could include driving, laundry, dishes, chores, even obligatory email exchanges can in fact be far less stressful, even positive when bringing alertness into the picture.
One of the most simple ways to begin this process is to bring your attention to your breath. The act of shifting attention to our breathing brings us into the present moment and allows us to become more alert and centered. Once we become alert, then we are no longer resisting the activity in which we are engaged and we can enjoy the flow of conscious awareness into our actions and we may even begin to enjoy life more fully.
In my morning meditation, using the seed thought "ceremony", I saw that I could elevate my daily labor to ritual and reverence. In that way, I move beyond time and space.
ReplyDeleteNicolette