Mindful Design · Everyday Mindfulness
Moment 1 · Coming back
To begin
Grounding
One sound, to begin
A minute to arrive: one sound, near or far.
Wherever you are… just as you are.
Without effort…
letting one sound find you.
Whatever is there — near or far.
If it's unpleasant… choosing another.
Resting your attention on it gently.
Following it the way you might follow a thread.
When attention drifts…
returning.
Just this sound.
Just this moment.
No effort.
No goal.
Grounding
Weight and warmth, to begin
A minute to arrive: the weight of your body, the warmth of your hands.
Noticing the weight of your body…
where it meets the chair… the floor… the earth beneath you.
Feeling the warmth of your hands.
Moving, if you need to.
Just letting the body be
exactly as it is.
Held.
Here.
Grounding
The breath, to begin
A minute to arrive: the breath, already here.
Wherever you are… just as you are.
Taking one slow breath in…
and a gentle exhale…
Returning to the natural rhythm of the breath…
already here.
As the breath moves…
just noticing it.
Rising…
and falling.
Nothing to change…
nothing to control.
The practice
Coming back
Minds wander. Noticing that, and coming back, is the practice.
Use it when you notice you’ve drifted: washing up, waiting, reading the same line three times.
This one's “Coming back”. Everything else here builds on it.
Choosing one thing that's here right now.
A sound… your feet on the floor… or the breath.
Resting your attention there… lightly.
Sooner or later, the mind wanders. That's what minds do.
The moment you notice… that's the practice.
Noticing… and coming back. To your sound… your feet… or the breath.
Resting there again… lightly.
Once more, with fewer words.
Noticing… coming back.
Next time you notice…
come back… and carry on.
What to keep
Once today, when you notice you’ve drifted: notice, come back, carry on.
Why this
Why: Coming back
Why noticing you’ve drifted is the practice, not a failure.
You use this whenever you notice you've drifted. Like halfway through the dishes, you realize you've been replaying a conversation.
That moment of noticing is the practice. Coming back is the rep.
Your mind will wander. That's what minds do. It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.
It won't stop your thoughts. Nothing does.
Notice. Come back. Carry on.
A quick question
You’re washing up and realise you’ve been replaying a conversation. What’s the practice here?
Just for practice. Nothing is saved.