Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.

Today I'm going to talk about

tuning into the subtleties around

us as a mindfulness practice.

So recently I woke up one morning, before

dawn, and I decided to take a walk around

my garden before my morning meditation.

And so much of the world was still

and quiet at that time of day.

But then as I attuned myself to the

soundscape around me, I began to

notice more and more subtle sounds.

So much of the world was

still dark at that time, too.

But as I began to look more deeply,

I began to see more details, more

movement, more of the life around me.

I saw the pinkish glow of the first light

reflected on the leaves of a nearby tree.

I noticed the length of each

note of a distant birdsong.

I felt the cool touch of a

slight breeze on my skin.

And I noticed the rustling

of the long grass nearby.

And as I stood there and I took more

time to look and listen more deeply,

suddenly it was like the world

around me came to life in a whole

new way with added dimensions of

richness and complexity and vibrancy.

And I came to life too, I noticed.

And so in daily life, we often

overlook the richness and subtlety

of experience all around us.

Perhaps a lot of the time it's

because we're too busy to stop

and really take it all in.

Or perhaps because our mind is

so busy, wrapped up in thinking

that we can't see and feel what's

right there under our noses.

But if we can pause every now and

then from being caught up in thinking,

and instead begin to tune in really

deeply to our senses, we notice all

the subtleties of our experience.

And it's like the world then begins

to reveal itself to us in new

dimensions of beauty and depth.

So today I invite you to make this

your practice, if you care to.

Just a pause every now and then,

and pay attention to subtleties.

Doing so with a curious,

perhaps even reverent attitude.

You might like to notice the play of

light and shadow in the room around you.

You might tune into your emotions and

really feel where they are in the body.

What are all the different little

sensations that make them up.

You might feel the gentle rhythm of

your breath and the way your body gently

swells and subsides with each breath.

How each breath is slightly

different and unique.

You might feel the textures of

clothing against your skin, all

the different kinds of textures.

Just let yourself pause every now and

then and lean into life in this way.

The more we practice being attentive to

the subtle sensations, the more present

and connected and alive we naturally feel.

I wish you a wonderful and

uplifting day of practice with this.

And as always, thank you for your

practice and your presence here with us.

And let's settle in

for today's meditation.