The Mindful Moment

Have you ever been in a moment of deep concentration and then, as if the concentration part of you grew legs, you watch all of your focus walk right out of the room?. 
 
Whether you're just beginning a meditation practice, or you've sustained a practice for a while now, the truth is that at time it can feel frustrating. With stimuli shot at us all the time gathering up a moment of quiet where we don't feel pulled in several different directions seems almost impossible.

I just received a text message.  Did I send that email? Did I close the garage door? Is this cough something I should get checked out. My back itches. My foot went to sleep ... And on and on and on. Little thought trains can pull in just like that and then - bam! - it feels like you're 100% failing this whole meditation thing. 

There's good news. The moment you noticed is significant. THAT'S THE MINDFUL MOMENT!  

Believe it, or not, you're doing it.  Mindfulness is the practice of becoming aware. Aware of yourself. Aware of your surrounding. Noticing when your mind has wandered is a mindful act. It is the act of noticing.  Once you've noticed, you've already returned.

There's no such thing as meditating perfectly! It's not a game and no one wins.  Meditation and mindfulness are simply tools in our wellness toolbelt.  The more comfortable we are in using them, the more effective they will become.  But, just like like being really handy with a screwdriver, it doesn't really matter how well you can use the tool.  What matters is what you're building with it.

So, if you've noticed that your focus drifted away, give yourself a HUGE round of applause. You just did it. You noticed, and in less time than it takes to blink your eye, you're already back.