We often think of meditation as sitting, breathing, and asking, “am I doing this right?”

However, many of us are not taught ways to make daily life a living meditation. I have discovered a few practices that instantly bring me back to gratitude for living in this present moment.

Take A Walk
My favorite thing to do to clear my mind is to take a walk. Whether I am in a new city, or even my hometown, walking gives me the experience of feeling fully integrated into my environment. I notice when I am stuck in my head too much, I feel disconnected or isolated from where I am. Meditation is the experience of unity, so by taking a walk, I allow my thoughts to slowly wither away, and I begin to notice the world around me.

Notice Your Five Senses
No matter what you are doing right now, you can stop, and take note of your five senses. What are you seeing? Do you notice colors, shapes, or something else? What do you smell? How does your seat feel? Are you tasting anything? What can you hear?

By putting our awareness on the world around us, it instantly becomes no longer about “me,” and more about the world outside of the “me” in our minds. By bringing our awareness to our present experience through the body, we can instantly become grounded in the present moment. The more focused we are on our own experience, the less space there is for judgment, comparison, or anything of the like.

Listen
I find listening to be the most profound of the 5 senses. When my thoughts are going haywire, when I listen to the world around me, they instantly become silenced. Where we put our attention, energy follows. By putting our attention on the world outside of our minds, our energy follows.

Beware of Your Words
How words hold our creative power. When we learn to be impeccable with our word, we can experience how powerful they really are. When what we say, feel, and do are in alignment, we are in great mental health. When I slow down, and really listen to what I am saying, I am able to speak my truth freely.

Life can be a living meditation, but it takes consistent awareness to stay in the present moment. These are simple practices I have personally discovered to help me regain my grounding. In this space of presence, we have access to our greater intelligence and connection in our lives.