Slow down, observe

How many of us wake up in the morning, have a wash/shower, throw on our clothes, saunter into the kitchen, chuck some food on a plate or in a bowl, have a drink and off we go to work or some other grand adventure?

I dare say quite a few of us and this author often goes into what is deemed auto-pilot mode. Yet, ask ourselves what are we missing, especially if we apply this same approach to the rest of our day. It all becomes a blur and we miss so many seconds, minutes, hours and even days in this state of being.

We can change it with a few subtle adjustments and then step into this realm of being present and mindful. Often we hear it said that spirituality is a difficult practice and takes years and years to perfect. I try not to think in that way, rather, find a way that works for us and who is to say we must do it A,B,C when actually we might like to go D,I,A?

Yet, if we go back to our original scenario and we may just discover how we can change it up. Let’s imagine the alarm goes off as I write now what may happen…

I hear the sound of Radio 5 live as the presenters are talking about the solar eclipse last night. They’re speaking about the events in Devon and how everyone was cheering and getting excited when the whole world went dark and cold for a few moments. It takes me back to last night. We met our neighbours outside and looked up to see the sky darken. One of our neighbours had a colander so we didn’t have to strain our eyes and saw a gradual change on the sheet through those tiny perforations.

I turned to look at the Sun (with my hand shielding the Sun so I did not directly stare at it I hasten to add) and witnessed birds and insects dancing around in confusion. I even espied a bat fly out who clearly got addled by this surprising turn of events.

I’m back in the present, putting my feet on the floor and look at the brightening sky outside. It’s already warm and I’m so glad that I had the fan on last night, comforting me with a delicious breeze to help me catch some sleep at least. I lean over, turn the radio off.

I find underwear, shorts and a simple grey t-shirt. I chose grey today, not because it’s a miserable colour, far from it, it’s a neutral one and hopefully will keep me a tad cooler. I think back to when I first got this shirt, I think my Mum got it but can’t be sure but I’m glad to remember her for a moment.

I head downstairs, the touch quite nice under my bare feet. I reach inside my pocket, find my keys and jangle them as I unlock the front door. The kitchen awaits me in a welcoming glow and my attention is drawn to the fridge. Inside, lays a bowl of blueberries and a tub of Greek yoghurt. I look forward to tasting them soon and waking up my day.

And so this tale can go on. Can you see the difference though from wake up, chuck on some clothes and go downstairs? If we can just pause for a few moments and take it in we suddenly become more aware of what is there. Now I’m not suggesting for a minute that we can stay in this permanent state, indeed it can be a challenge as we may start to drop into mental fatigue or loop back into our auto-pilot mode again. Yet I ask you to give it a go. Maybe even for a few minutes or longer, see the difference it makes and work on those senses.

What do you feel, see, touch, hear, taste and sense? Quite a simple exercise but one you may find actually quite rewarding.