Mindfulness is being present, and connecting with your good heart.

When we meditate we take time to stop and just be. We feel our breathing coming in and going out and listen to our inner world. Mindfulness is remembering—remembering to be present, remembering our good heart.

Our inner realm of natural stillness and our ability to love are our most precious possessions. Today we constantly encounter powerful forces geared to pulling us away from them, inciting us to consume—consume objects, consume information—with a constant stream of new stimuli that make us forget our inner world.

During the day, at any time, you can just stop briefly, breathe in, breathe out, and come back to the present moment, letting go of your thoughts and contacting your good heart. Every time you do that it makes a difference. In the midst of turmoil just to to be simply present momentarily diffuses the agitation of your thoughts and emotions. Even if you can’t be free from the emotion for more than a few seconds it’s not wasted. You are sowing the seeds of stability. By doing it again and again you gradually nourish those seeds and they will sprout, almost without you noticing.

To feel your core of stillness and clarity all the time in all situations is quite hard, but to have brief moments of stillness and clarity is not so difficult, and their value should not be underestimated. If you can just be present and feel your basic tenderness for a few seconds, that means it is possible. The clouds part and you see the sunlight. Opportunities to cultivate kindness are everywhere. All our relationships are offering us a chance to have a kind heart.

Charles Hastings
Photo: Matthieu Ricard.
Develop your innate capacity for inner peace and love! Imagine Clarity explains, in clear steps, how to develop not just mindfulness, but caring mindfulness, true kindness and an altruistic mind.
As the holiday season approaches, have you thought of offering Imagine Clarity as a gift? It could make a big difference for someone seeking for meaning in their life, curious to discover their own mind, or simply wanting to be happy.