JoAnn Saccato

Mindful Impressions

  • Home
  • Events
    • Ongoing
    • Free Workshops
    • Mindful Resilience Course
    • A six week introductory course in mindfulness
    • Half Day Retreats
    • Full Day Retreats
    • Self-paced opportunities
    • Scholarships
  • Working with JoAnn
  • Blog
  • About
  • Books
  • Donate
  • Tambo Elephant Fund
  • About Mindfulness
  • Contact

6/6/2015

What's Your Availability for the Ever Unfolding Divine Mystery?

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Zion National Park (All photo rights reserved by JoAnn Saccato)
Somehow, somewhere, we've convinced ourselves that we are in charge. That humans are somehow disconnected in some special way from the way things are and can actually control events. However we've arrived to this belief, taking this attitude disconnects us from our place in the divine mystery that is unfolding in and around us each and every moment. A divine mystery we are part of, but one certainly not in our control.

If we're living with this belief, we lose the ability to hear the sublime whisper that speaks of
simplicity amongst complexity, contentment in the midst of change, aliveness as things arise and pass away, and joy in the midst of pain. Lost to us is the potential to participate in the awe of wonder
that can happen only in the moment.

Oh, we may have peak experiences on occasion that wake us up to that awe and wonder, but then we usually find ourselves chasing after another peak experience, because our normal life, much less stillness, seems dull in comparison. What I've learned is that those awe-inspiring moments are available to us no matter what we're doing, if
we attend to the moment with full attention. And this attending, or attention, is one thing that is cultivated through the practice of mindfulness.

When I meditate outside in nature, the aliveness of the moment is most evident in the trees, the breeze, birds, bugs, light and shadow. Through my stillness, I once again
consciously experience my place in the mystique and aliveness that can only be felt as it occurs. Mindfulness is a practice of simplicity so that we can become aware of this aliveness not only around us, but within us, and this awakens us back to our true nature of connectedness to the All That Is. We are changing and unfolding just as the leaves once again find their place within the season and the wind dances through in a configuration that happens only once for all of time.

When we begin the practice of mindfulness, we begin with our breath. We explore the different characteristics and qualities of each breath. At first, it is interesting because most of us have never taken the time to explore our breath--except maybe when we were quite young, before we were conditioned to focus primarily on external objects or our not enoughness. Or sometimes when there is a life experience that hinders our breath or movement.

So, we explore. Is the breath going fast or slow? Is it deep or shallow? Is it smooth or shaky? Consistent or erratic? How about now? What about its texture? Thick, thin? Its temperature?

After a while, though, that rudimentary inquiry may become boring. The mind wanders. We come back...seemingly to the same old breath. Oh, yeah, now its a little more calm and steady, which can sometimes make it even more boring. But as we steady our focus and the mind calms down (eventually) what else arises? Sensations? Wakefulness? A shift in perspective that includes the immediate environment? An awareness of connection to all that surrounds us?

If we cloud our breath practice with a conceptual overlay generated by the mind--judgement, noting, etc.--we lose that direct connection with the breath
and all else that is in our awareness at the moment of the breath. There is an awakening that transcends our thoughts about what is transpiring and it is this awareness that our practice is cultivating. It is this awareness that directly experiences our immediate connection with the All That Is. It is a way of knowing that is different than thinking about what we are experiencing.

When I first started practicing, some 20+ years ago, you couldn't have explained what I experience now as a result of this practice. Nothing can touch it. No concept. No word. Nothing but the direct experience. The invitation from my teachers then and now has always been, "Don't take my word for it. See for yourself." And it's so very true--or you will never get the gift that is available in each and every moment you're alive.

Trust the instruction. Trust the practice. Dive again and again back to the present moment--to this breath, this sensation, this wakefulness. Not with any expectation, but open to experience what is and when you do, the divine mystery that is always here unfolding may grace and humble you with its majestic touch.
 

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to Mindful Enews

    * indicates required

     Subscribe in a reader

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All
    3 Rs
    Alan Watts
    Amygdala
    Anger
    Anxiety
    Appreciation
    Asia
    Attention
    Autumn
    Backpacking
    Bear Encounters
    Bill Phillips
    Black Lives Matter
    Boggs Demonstration Forest
    Breath Awareness
    Buddha
    Buddhism
    Buddhist
    California
    California H.O.P.E.
    Carl Stewart
    Change
    Cobb
    Cobb Mountain
    Commitment
    Community
    Community Resiliency
    Companion Circle
    Compassion
    Compassionate Container
    Compassion Based Mindfulness
    Compassion-based Mindfulness
    Compassion-based Practices
    Death
    Democracy
    Depression
    Detox
    Disaster Resiliency
    Disaster Response
    Divine Mystery
    Dr. Rick Hanson
    Elephant Nature Park
    Elephants
    Elephant Valley Thailand
    Equanimity
    Fight
    Fire
    Flight Or Freeze
    Generosity
    Gratitude
    Greta Mae
    Happiness
    Home
    Hot Springs
    Humility
    Inner Peace
    Intention
    Intention Vs. Expectation
    Italy
    #JerusalemFire
    Jim Leonardis
    JoAnn Saccato
    John Muir Trail
    Kelly McGonigal
    Kindness
    Lake County
    Lake Family Resource Center's California HOPE Project
    Layna Joy
    Lek Chailert
    Life
    Loss
    Lost Coast
    Loving Kindness
    Meditation
    Meditator Of Convenience
    Mendocino Complex Fire
    Millennials
    Mindful And Intentional Living
    Mindful Eating
    Mindfulness
    Myanmar
    Nathan DeHart
    Negativity Bias
    Neuroscience
    Oxytocin
    Pacific Crest Trail
    Passion
    Peace
    Philosophy
    Poetry
    Politics
    Pre-frontal Cortex
    Raven's Haven
    Reflection
    Resiliency
    #RockyFire
    Sacred
    Sacredness
    Sangita Iyer
    Setting Intention
    Shylila Lassie Moon
    Sleep
    Sleep Difficulties
    Soothing Touch
    Stress
    Stress-related Illness
    Stress Response
    TED Talks
    Thailand
    Thai Massage
    The Wisdom Of Insecurity
    Touch
    Travel
    Tree
    Tri Uplifting
    Trust
    #ValleyFire
    Valley Fire
    Vicki Crystal
    Violence
    Vision Statements
    Voice For Asian Elephants Society
    Walter Robinson
    Women
    World Peace
    Yosemite

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Events
    • Ongoing
    • Free Workshops
    • Mindful Resilience Course
    • A six week introductory course in mindfulness
    • Half Day Retreats
    • Full Day Retreats
    • Self-paced opportunities
    • Scholarships
  • Working with JoAnn
  • Blog
  • About
  • Books
  • Donate
  • Tambo Elephant Fund
  • About Mindfulness
  • Contact