One of the best ways to feel less overwhelmed is to be fully present with one thing at a time. You might be thinking, “One thing at a time? I would WIN a multi-tasking competition!” While there’s a time and a place for being efficient, we must explore how time shifts when we are grounded in the present moment.
This is one road map to being more present. It’s taken from Legacy of the Heart, by Wayne Muller, who in turn acknowledges his source as Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein.
The idea is to choose an activity that you do every day, usually without even thinking about it, like brushing your teeth. Decide to make that activity a reminder to be present. Pause, breathe, and “do it with a gentle and full attention, as if it were the heart of a meditation retreat for you…..Even the simplest acts can be powerful reminders and bring a sense of presence and grace. If you choose the opening of doors throughout the day, you can open each door as if Jesus or the Buddha were to pass through with you. If you choose the act of making tea or coffee, you can do it as if it were a gracious Japanese tea ceremony.”
Sounds beautiful to me. I hope you’ll try it out.
