The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude. Becca Anderson

need mindfulness more than ever. The world has grown increasingly complicated and interdependent. The pace of life has accelerated tremendously and continues to move more and more quickly. Most people crave an antidote. Mindfulness provides a remedy. The practice of mindfulness simplifies, creates calm, and offers new ways to navigate the churning, uncharted waters of our modern age. What exactly is mindfulness, one may wonder? Although it’s a popular term, pinpointing the exact definition of mindfulness can be difficult. Do I have to get up early? Must I do some special ritual? Mindfulness has always been something simple, yet quite profound. Mindfulness in its essence means paying attention.

      Mindfulness appears to be a straightforward process. Essentially it is. Yet because life holds enormous potential for complication, continued practice and mastery of mindfulness can be challenging. There are so many distractions that can make paying attention a problematic venture, and therein lies the paradox of mindfulness. There are mundane distractions, such as to-do lists, a pile of laundry, or a pebble in your shoe. There are more monumental distractions, such as natural disasters, death, accidents, or other big life changes. Mindfulness, as a practice, offers tips and tools to stay present, focused, and relaxed through it all, big and small.

      The daily requirements of mindfulness depend on the conditions of the day. Just as a surfer must stay present, prepared, and ready to jump into action to catch a wave, a mindfulness practitioner must remain poised and ready to move with whatever influx life presents. Sometimes the waves are small, so we need to train our attention so we don’t become bored. Sometimes the waves seem huge and impassable. In that case, we may need to focus on our own inner fear to get through the surf conditions of the day. Mindfulness offers us ideas and insight for staying present and alert through it all.

      The Contemplation on No-Coming and No-Going

      This body is not me.

      I am not limited by this body.

      I am life without boundaries.

      I have never been born,

      and I have never died.

      Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,

      manifestations from my wondrous true mind.

      Since before time, I have been free.

      Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,

      sacred thresholds on our journey.

      Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.

      So laugh with me,

      hold my hand,

      let us say goodbye,

      say goodbye, to meet again soon.

      We meet today.

      We will meet again tomorrow.

      We will meet at the source every moment.

      We meet each other in all forms of life.

      —Thích Nhất Hạnh

      Blessing of All the Buddhas

      O Guru Rinpoche, Precious One,

      You are the embodiment of

      The compassion and blessings of all the buddhas,

      The only protector of beings.

      My body, my possessions, my heart and soul

      Without hesitation, I surrender to you!

      From now until I attain enlightenment,

      In happiness or sorrow,

      in circumstances good or bad,

      in situations high or low:

      I rely on you completely, O Padmasambhava, you who know me:

      think of me, inspire me, guide me,

      make me one with you!

      —Jikmé Lingpa, excerpt from

      The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

      Power Thoughts: Be Here Now, Always

      “Replace fear of your own inner experience, with a curious, gentle, welcoming attitude—free of judgment, self-blame, and aversion.”

      —Melanie Greenberg

      “Mindfulness shows us what is happening in our bodies, our emotions, our minds, and in the world. Through mindfulness, we avoid harming ourselves and others.”

      —Thích Nhất Hạnh

      “Mindful self-compassion can be learned by anyone. It’s the practice of repeatedly evoking good will toward ourselves, especially when we’re suffering—cultivating the same desire that all living beings have to live happily and free from suffering.”

      —Christopher Germer

      “Mindfulness: Taking a balanced approach to negative emotions, so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated. We cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time. Mindfulness requires that we not ‘over-identify’ with thoughts and feelings, so that we are caught up and swept away by negativity.”

      —Brené Brown

      “It’s not that God, the environment, and other people cannot help us to be happy or find satisfaction. It’s just that our happiness, satisfaction, and our understanding, even of God, will be no deeper than our capacity to know ourselves inwardly, to encounter the world from the deep comfort that comes from being at home in one’s own skin, from an intimate familiarity with the ways of one’s own mind and body.”

      —Jon Kabat-Zinn

      Power Practice: Ritual Purification

      Many religions and cultures have their own forms of ritual cleansings (baptisms/christening, mikveh, ghusl/wudu, snanam, etc.), each with different symbolism. Though many of these rituals are purely spiritual, some also incorporate material objects for both physical and metaphysical cleansing. For instance, the Romans used oils and fragrances, the Indians used herbs and spices, and even Cleopatra added milk and honey to her baths. These rituals are typically used to mark a rebirth or significant change in one’s life, and are often believed to have purifying properties. While some of these ancient rituals have come under criticism by women for suggesting that women are unclean, modern feminists have reclaimed spiritual bathing as a way to appreciate femininity and oneself. Any woman can incorporate the idea of ritual cleansing into their life, in a variety of forms, either similar or symbolic to the original concepts. Taking a meditative bath with your favorite oils and candles, cleaning out your house, or even deleting toxic friends from social media can all be compared to the cleansing and rebirth that is at the core of these ritual ceremonies.