Listening

Hearing is one of the body's five senses. But listening is an art. Frank Tyger

The five senses can be portals into the present. Today I am going to listen. Even as I sit here now and open up my ears I hear the hum of the refrigerator, which is actually quite a relaxing sound. I just heard someone close a car door. And I hear the ticking of my kitchen clock. Wow! That's a loud clock!

Have you noticed how often you close your eyes when you are listening to something especially enjoyable like a beautiful piece of music? You close one sense to totally tune into the experience of another. How often do you bring that same attention to the ordinary sounds of the day? It's interesting how you can't help but be in the present when you are listening.

The use of sound is well known for being a meditative device, whether by repeating the word OM or through chanting. It's an effective way to center your consciousness into the present.

I believe one of the greatest gifts you can give is to totally receive what someone is saying. Today I am going to listen. I'll listen to the birds and the traffic and I'll make sure I give my undivided attention and be present when someone is speaking to me.

I have a CD, which is a continuous chant of the word OM. I'm going to put my ipod in the docking station right now and listen.

Welcoming

Opening to life is really like welcoming whom ever and what ever crosses your path. On my best days, my welcoming attitude invites life in, in a way that just can't and doesn't happen when I am closed down or too inward. Sometimes we save the "best" of who we are for specific people or situations. Today I want to welcome life in all of its forms, people and manifestations. And I am going to make a point to notice (my word from January 2) the results of my welcoming attitude! I welcome you to join this experiment and post your own experiences.

Acceptance

I am choosing acceptance for today's project. I am going to accept where I am right now, right here today. It is so easy to be focused on where I would like to be and what I would like to accomplish. I like to remember that acceptance isn't about passivity. Accepting doesn't mean that I don't have dreams and goals that I am keeping on my radar screen and that I am working toward. Acceptance just means that I accept that in this whole panorama of my life, today is here. Not the past; not the future. For today, I accept where I am in this journey and will extend this thought to those I meet today or think about today.

Breathing

Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

Thich Nhat Hanh

I love this quote from the Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh. Paying attention to one's breath, is such a great way to center oneself in the present. And, the nice thing about breathing is that you can do it anywhere!

For today, I am going to pay attention to my breathing. If I feel upset or anxious or tense, I'll say silently: Breathing in, I know I am breathing in...breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

Noticing

I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about today. But I had a dream this morning about noticing. Yes, noticing. Receptive states are experiences of being in the present and one of the ways to be fully present is to simply notice or pay attention to what is going on around you.

So, for today I am going to pay attention and notice what is in my environment, what I am doing and what I am feeling or thinking. Right now I am noticing how comfortable my chair feels. I see that the blinds I forgot to open are still closed. I just heard the heater turn on (yes, it’s been chilly here in Arizona!). I am also noticing how peaceful my home feels.

I don’t often think about the importance of noticing. But today I will.

Gratitude

I've been writing in my gratitude journal (sometimes more and sometimes less) since I started teaching my Receive classes several years ago. I made writing gratitudes a part of the class curriculum when I realized that whenever we are focused on feeling grateful, that we are are also fully in the present. It's about being receptive to life's givingness.

I want to start this year with the reminder that whenever I make a point to write down five things each day for which I feel grateful, I tend to keep noticing things throughout the day that I also feel grateful for whether a beautiful tree, a phone call from a friend or my morning coffee.

So for today, my five gratitudes:

1. I am grateful I live in beautiful Arizona!

2. I feel so blessed to have such good friends.

3. I am lucky to have found work that I love.

4. I am thankful I found a handyman who is a nice guy to fix things in the house.

5. I'm really glad I ate only half of the Doritos in the bag last night!

I like to spend sixty seconds immersed in one of my five gratitudes. Today I am choosing the one about feeling blessed to have such good friends. And for the rest of the day I am going to make a point to notice and say thank you for all of the ways that life gives to me.

Feel free to add your own gratitudes or any other message.