'Honey', I say, holding his hand and empathising with his deep struggling with life at this point, 'I really wish you'd try mindfulness'. What I actually mean is meditation, but mindfulness seems more palatable somehow, as if I'm removing everything else that goes with a spiritual practice. I have to say it quickly, too, and only once, because it sounds preachy, and condescending. People make their own way to the path, and you can't co-erce them. Besides, there's that awful risk of sounding cliche, an instagram meme about 'letting go' or some trite and oft repeated advice that my rational, scientific and sometimes cynical husband is likely to dismiss outright. But I need to nudge, because he's at this point in his life when things seem unsatisfactory. He's constantly worrying, and sometimes he confesses he feels paranoid, and unsafe, although he quickly takes that back because it's not how he feels all the time and he doesn't want to worry me.

'I don't need it' he says. 'I appreciate life! I do what you do and notice the birds and the waves and nature. I know what it all means. I have read so many books on Buddhism.' And he has. One of the reasons I fell in love with him was because he had this great bookshelf with all kinds of books, and plenty of 'spiritual' ones, including a fascinating one on Buddhist cosmology.

But here's the kicker.

Unless you actually practice it regularly, you can't actually get the benefits from it. It's just something you know about intellectually, rather than something that can have incredible impact on how you live, and see, your life.

Buddhism has always been an experiential practice. Once you have experienced the impermanent nature of things on a cellular level, you can't go back. When it happened to me, it was an a-ha moment. I'd read a lot too, you see, and studied a lot. I had read about 'impermanence', but experiencing it was quite another thing entirely.

I try to explain this to him. I try to explain that even if he gets through all his jobs he feels he has to do, or if we change towns or countries, he's never going to get everything perfect. Even if we were really successful at making everything outside ourselves just the way we want it to be, our desires are always changing - our environment can't keep up with the pace of this mind that constantly wants or doesn't want. What he's talking about is an enterprise that is doomed to fail.

'But I want things to change' he says. 'I can't just go around meditating and pretending it's all okay and being in this same situation all my life'. And he's right. Of course he has to live his purpose too, and there's no use spending time on things that inherently make you unhappy.

But a meditation practice can help you detach a little from the suffering of all of that whilst you go about living, helping you know right down to your bones that it passes. It always passes.

He's a smart guy. He'll come around.

I want him to know the bigger picture. To really know it, not just intellectualise it. @julianhorack's post got me this week:

When the time comes you need to be able to let go by remembering that you are not the body. Then you can let it go without undue attachment, as well as remember that the material possessions, both gross and subtle, like money and fame or status, are all temporary too. They are not you. If you have any attachment to them, that will act as a rope to bind you to the material plane for another lifetime. So in life we train to become detached from the result of our actions now already. As long as you have a body you are forced to act, and that’s fine. We have to stay alive and grow and feed our offspring and so on, so we act, we endeavour, we aspire for short term and medium term goals, but we remain detached from the result. We remain aloof from the need to achieve the result or not. In this way we cultivate the ability to see the body and its byproducts and trappings as just that – trappings. Ironic word that. And we do this based on knowledge. Knowledge of matter and spirit is what will be your sword to cut the knots that bind the immortal consciousness to the temporary cage of a body. You cut the knots of attachment with the knowledge of the bigger picture and you attain the long term goal.

Do you have people you know that would benefit from a meditation practice?
What did it take for you to start your mindful life?

Mindful posts worth celebrating this week (Curation by @riverflows)

I'm writing this one very quickly in my van on a road trip, as @bewithbreath has been called away on a family emergency - please send him metta.

Please enjoy the following posts by fellow Steemians who wrote about spiritual life or meditative practice this week.

A Daily Mindfulness Exercise by @nainzaztengra who gives us good advice:

Another Mindfulness exercise can be done before going to bed. Take some time to reflect on the actions of the day, what went well and what did not. See how the feeling emerges with each thought, how do you feel with each thought, pleasant, good, unpleasant, sad, happy. Gradually you will notice what is not required for you will start eliminating from your actions, your thoughts will be more stable and the feelings will be much more in control. @nainaztengra

My natural medication is meditation by @bewithbreath
How to Make the Most of This Human Life Form - Keep this Goal in Mind by @julianhorack

The following is past post payout, but as they are written on mindful mondays it's hard to celebrate them the following Monday - this editorial can be a bit wierd like that! However, I do recommend you catch up with @porters #mindfulmonday and #mindfullife posts - she is an experienced meditators who has much to share about the practice with us. Same goes for @julianhorack - go check out his posts this week. Each one is worth celebrating in itself!

And in other news...

The winner of SBI for this past week is @bewithbreath! I realised I'd been busy celebrating everyone else but none of this would be possible without @bewithbreath leading our meditations. Thus, this account is awarding him 5 SBI - barely a token for all he does for us. Thankyou so much. E

Each week we award someone posting under #mindfulife with a little SBI to say thank you for your enthusiasm and wisdoms, so do get your #mindfullife posts out through the week. Of course they can be #mindfulmonday ones as well, but you don't only have to post on a Monday.

There's been a few changes in the Discord channel for those who are in there. There's so many channels we thought it might be confusing, so we streamlined it a little. You can find your graphics under #freegraphics channel, but you might also notice the new banner below. Feel free to continue using the old one!

And don't forget we have group meditations on Wednesday and Saturdays. If you're interested, go check out @bewithbreath's blog or register your interest below. He usually sends a call out to remind us which is super appreciated.

Mindful Life is a space within Natural Medicine whose aims are:

• To unite meditators across the Steem blockchain so that we can share and strengthen our own practices
• To provide a space to discuss the philosophy, science and practical application of such practices in our lives
• To inspire and motivate each other
• To provide support if we might be struggling, connecting with like minded people who might offer solutions

Entry is minimum 20 SP for those under 500SP, and 50SP + for those with a bit more. This makes you a full member of @naturalmedicine and all it's benefits. It's free for those under 100 SP.

Natural Medicine Needs YOU! Please consider delegating to @naturalmedicine by clicking any amount below to help keep this collective going. The minimum entry for membership is 50SP (free for members under 150SP), and helps support and celebrate your work with natural remedies, healings and nurturings on this gorgeous blockchain! Join us on Discord here - we'd love to have you!

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