Mindful Meditation:
Doing What You Love to Do

What do you really enjoy doing? Have you ever considered that this could be an excellent mindful meditation for you? Doing what we love to do with mindful awareness can be a great place to begin the practice of meditation. The meditation is not the activity, but the quality of attention that we bring to the activity. Any activity of daily life can become a support for mindful meditation when it is undertaken with the intention of developing concentration, clarity, compassion, or insight.

1. Choose an activity you enjoy.


2. Determine to bring your full mindful attention to it.


3. Slowly, carefully, and mindfully begin. Stay relaxed and give your wholehearted attention to what you are doing.


4. Whenever your attention wanders or fades, gently return to being fully aware of what you are doing. If tension arises, relax and smile playfully to yourself.


5. When the activity or designated time period is over, pause for a few moments to reflect on the new richness you have discovered in this familiar activity.

In fact, everything that we do throughout the day, even the tasks that we do not like, can be an opportunity for mindful meditation and a chance for developing our minds and deepening our concentration.

[Adapted from the book "Luminous Mind" by Joel & Michelle Levey]