One of the upsides of practicing mindfulness techniques over the last year is the sense of serenity that is slowly creeping into my revived soul. I move slightly slower and with more intentionality, for example, and not just when I am practicing Tai Chi.
When I am putting the dry dishes away, I’ve choreographed a sort of dance that involves a series of impromptu moves; swing, lift, pivot, bend, place, stretch, turn… It means putting the dishes away takes a few extra minutes, but every muscle in my body gets a slow-motion work out at least once a day.
These days I stop to smell the roses. I notice things. Perhaps the weirdest moment was when I was sitting outside in the sun, and I could hear the low thrum of the rain water tank doing its thing where it checks the water level and tops it up with town water if required. I realized that the slow thrum-um-um was happening in time with my breathing.
(After several minutes of admiring our synchronized sounds, I realized the pump was probably malfunctioning because it had been going on for so long!)
But before that realization, I heard a sound behind the sound – a bird. It even sounded a lot like an owl. In the daytime. How strange. Then the sound of bees in the neighbor’s tree. The smell of someone’s BBQ. A tingle in my fingertips when I picked up my drink. The taste of tea and the warmth of it going down my throat…
In that moment (just before the malfunctioning-one), I understood the saying about someone being ‘cool, calm and collected’. I understood it, even though it was a slightly warm day and I was drinking warm tea. It was more to do with the stillness within me, an awareness of my surroundings, a clarity to my thoughts, a ‘collectedness’ that I don’t often feel.
There was no impulse to ‘do’ something, and no guilt for feeling no impulse.
Sitting.
Just sitting, looking, listening, tasting, smelling, feeling. That seemed to be my purpose in the moment.
Nothing more.
Until my logical brain interrupted again with a commentary about the pump still pumping.
Sigh.
I suspect it is unrealistic that we can be cool, calm and collected all the time. But if you can find a few moments from time to time, I highly recommend it. It doesn’t really take any particular effort – in fact, it essentially takes the reverse – no effort.
Don’t try to do anything.
Just sit and breathe.
Take care care-fully, Linda x
PS – an update on my status on the Team Challenge: I have just finished my 2nd card and am looking to buy myself another Chai Latte and use it to make another cool, calm and collected moment. When I get to the end of my third card, I’ll really splash out and reward myself with some new (supportive) shoes!
The Mindful Migraine 
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