Why not set the intention to integrate mindfulness into your everyday life and find more joy in the ordinary details of your existence?
Jack Kornfield (Home - Jack Kornfield), an American writer and Buddhist teacher, describes mindfulness as “a way of being in this world, a dance of presence and engagement”. What a beautiful description! A “dance” sounds playful, even joyful, and suggests a lightness and energy which many of us, I am sure, want to find in our lives
September is a time of beginnings as well as endings. For those involved in education, there is the excitement (or trepidation!) of a new term. This is the time for a fresh start, full of promise and hopes for the future. Although we may lament the end of summer – even one as wet as this one – the approach of autumn can be exciting in its own way. The colours and changing light can be a source of comfort and delight. There is a richness to this season as we prepare for the challenges of a long winter.
I’d like to suggest that we might discover a more mindful way of being in this world by finding our PLOT rather than losing it! Excuse the corny acronym, but here goes… Four prompts that might make all the difference and allow us to find the extraordinary in our ordinary, day to day lives.
Pause
Take the time to just stop and breathe before your next action. Simply pause and come into this moment by dropping your 
attention into feet or hands, seat or breath. It only takes a few seconds. If it’s possible, you might take a longer pause and rest, allowing yourself to sit and do nothing except be here. You might just stand still or take a mindful walk.
Listen
Instead of focusing on what you want to say, try listening in a really active way. Be fully present to the other person and what they are trying to communicate. Sit with your desire to speak for a little bit longer. How does that feel? And how do they respond when you listen wholeheartedly?
Open
Notice what is actually here and see if it’s possible to open your heart and mind to this present moment, even those things which aren’t particularly pleasurable. Practise acceptance of what’s already here, whether it’s in the body or mind. The three-step breathing space is a practice that can really help us to open up. It might even present a completely different perspective on a situation in which we felt stuck.
Thank
Give thanks. Appreciation of what is available to you in your life, no matter how small, can bring a change of heart and improve your sense of well-being. Practising gratitude by counting 10 things for which you are grateful at the end of every day is a lovely way of training your mind to spot the good in your life.
PLOT
...your more mindful existence…
