Mindfulness means paying attention to what you are doing. It is a focus on what is going on in us and around us. By focusing on the uniqueness of each moment, we can be undistracted from and accepting of whatever lies before us.
With a mindful focus, any task can become a meditation. Tonight as I was chopping mushrooms for dinner, I focused exclusively on the task before me; it helped that my boys were outside working in the yard with my husband.
I felt the heft of the knife in my hand. I smelled the earthy scent of the mushrooms. I heard the dull thunk of the knife as it hit the cutting board again and again. My arms felt the rhythmic nature of my chopping. A bit later, even as I continued to chop, I heard the sound of the coconut oil heating and the first mushrooms beginning to sizzle in the sauté pan. I smelled their intensified aroma as I stood nearby, chopping and chopping.
I felt completely present, with nothing to think about but a calm focus on my present task. All I had to do was simply be in my body, stand in front of the counter, and chop mushrooms. Everything else could wait.
By the time I had finished all of my chopping, my mind felt refreshed. And I felt thankful for the sautéed mushrooms (recipe HERE) that would be a delicious part of our dinner.