While swimming this morning, I, when I got to the end of a lap, hung out on the edge of the pool and watched the sun come up. To my delight, there were these little clouds over the horizon that, together with the sun, produced a beautiful orange hue. For three minutes, I just held the edge of the pool and took it all in. I was trying to enjoy the beauty and be present to the moment. Interestingly, the moment also reminded me of the opposite: how often am I pulled into the future or jettisoned back to a memory of the past? How many sunrises had I missed by not being present?

In our meditation today, I invite you to stay in that present moment. To do this, you must continue to become an observer of the mind. And in contrast, while I've been meditating for a long time, I still catch my mind wandering occasionally. I’ll be thinking, “Gosh, I've got to pick up so-and-so at noon," or, "I've got to run this errand," or, "I've got to write that," or, "oh my God, did I really say that?” All the things. So, in an effort to get back to center, I invite you to observe and be present. This is precisely why we practice.

Mantra Today:

So hum

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