We live in a day and age of constant consumption–beyond what we put into our bodies–and I will be the first to admit that I am a mindless scroller of social media, news articles, and buzzfeed lists.
I started my morning in this way, immediately asking my mind and body to consume content and information that I probably wasn’t even ready for.
Scrolling through statuses, pictures, and articles, finally, one that grabbed my attention “16 Uncomfortable Feelings That Actually Indicate You’re on the Right Path.”
CLICK.
As I’m reading, I find myself nodding along with some of the “feelings” and relating. I finish the article and go on getting ready for my day. But, as I continued to digest the article, I found myself feeling some kind of way about the fact that this article was espousing and equating “right path” with discomfort, difficulty, and at times emotional turmoil. Though, there is absolutely some truth in that, I noticed a shift in my mood. I started to feel uncomfortable.
Thich Nhat Hanh (one of the great Buddhist spiritual guides) often speaks about the mindfulness training concepts.
The fifth mindfulness training concept is mindful consumption. And, in a nutshell it’s about being mindful of what you consume so that you can lead a peaceful life.
After reading that article this morning, I was feeling everything but peaceful. I was anxious, confused, and rather upset that “finding the right path,” is apparently tumultuous.
Ultimately, my mindlessness in what I was consuming first thing in the mornings, set the tone for a large part of how I continued my day.
So, in light of all this, I begin a challenge. For the next 7 days, I will start my mornings with the following: 10 deep breaths, 3 sun salutations, and a smile. I will breathe deeply, fully, and into the day before me. And any news, posts, articles begging to be read will wait until I am mindful enough to read them.
Gosh darnit!
Climbing The Mountain of Mindfulness 