Centered and Mindful in daily life

Viriya

Am interested to see other peoples techniques and practices of staying centered and mindful while going about daily life outside of formal meditation hours.

For practice to reap beneficial fruits and for us to transform our confused deluded minds into sources of clarity and insight conducive to realizing the ultimate truth, their is no doubt that practice and mindfulness must be maintained continuously.

I personally find that maintaining awareness of the breath and keeping it calm and comfortable a) keeps my mind from wandering and b) the rhythm of my breath tells me the state of my mind, as nature dictates a calm mind results in a calm breath and vice versa.

So while going about my busy life i only have to maintain awareness of the breath to keep my mind balanced and mindful, as opposed to trying to maintain clear mind or take awareness itself as the basis of my experience as this often leads to losing that feeling of being strongly centered and balanced as this clear mind is illusive and often skewed.

Interested to see how others approach this skill of maintaining the practice in daily life.

With Metta

darjeeling

So while going about my busy life i only have to maintain awareness of the breath to keep my mind balanced and mindful, as opposed to trying to maintain clear mind or take awareness itself as the basis of my experience as this often leads to losing that feeling of being strongly centered and balanced as this clear mind is illusive and often skewed.

I've only just begun doing this. Initially, I focused on awareness itself and it was difficult to gather my thoughts or steady myself. It reminded me of the Seinfeld joke: "Serenity NOW!!!"

Later, I focused on mindful but rather intense concentration, which was fine and I still do that frequently. Lately I'm back to just being in the breath. I like that place, and it's reminiscent of sitting, which a teacher said should be with the careful but relaxed attention of a cat outside a mouse hole. Wide wake and attentive, just breathing.

Cloud

Remaining mindful of the breathing is the best advice I would give, and it seems you already know that trick.

Dazzle

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Maintaining present moment awareness with the breathing.

Recalling: "Mindfulness" in very busy or difficult situations.



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ravkes

No need to do anything, just let the experiences come and go and roll with the inevitable flow..

You see how thoughts come and go, emotions come and go, the body came and will go, sensations come and go. Who needs to be centered?
Who is this 'i' that wishes to maintain this state?
All states come and go, let go of assumed control.
This holding will kill you.

revolutionary14

I find walking meditation and awareness of each step really great (especially for add)

silmaril

In Tantric practice, mindfulness goes a step further. The Tantric practitioner views his surrounding AS his yidam's mandala; the practitioner sees himself AS his yidam. This is the self-generation stage. It is a lifetime commitment.

DaltheJigsaw

Cloud wrote: »

Remaining mindful of the breathing is the best advice I would give, and it seems you already know that trick.

I agree with this statement.
If one can just be with breath
One can be be in meditation mode 24/7...

TheDoctorDonna

I recite the Refuge Prayer 3 times a day, and the "Dedication of Merit" to help keep me on track. It also locks in any merit that I might have acumulated during that part of the day. I also recite "Om Mani Padme Hung" thoughout the day. A few minutes of Bacic meditation when I get the chance also helps.