It feels like the eighteenth time I’ve asked my eight-year-old to stop hitting his six-year-old brother... with a stick. It's triggered tingling in my fingers, stinging in the chest, and a hot roiling at the ribs.

What can I do?

Easy.

React.

I can give myself a ringside seat in the arena of reaction.

Here's the thing with reacting. It's a hot mess of a habit. There's a region of the brain that sets off a signal for it. You can picture it as a cartoon clapper bell, getting ready to ding. And when it does, it floods the mind - in nano-seconds.

So, what can you do?

Well, there's recognition: the simple recognition of where reactivity is landing. Recognition of the feel of reactivity. Recognition of the here and now of reactivity. Recognition of the need to shift gears of awareness as reactivity arises.

But where does recognition start?

Maybe it starts with a choice.

Here's a choice: to bring awareness to the soles of my feet: to the raw, tingling, fizzing, pulsing vibrations of the feet. Down where it's all pins, needles, and cork-cooled Birkenstock.

The psychologists call this "decentering": you redirect your attention to a place in the body to help you "step out" of reactivity. You make a deliberate choice to go to what's already here, already available, already happening now.

You tune into the wisdom of direct experience.

In this instance, it's the wisdom of the feet, followed by the wisdom of awareness that comes from being breathed by the breathing breath. Yes, there's a 'home run' to be found in the wisdom of the soles of your feet and being breathed by the breathing breath. It may only be a momentary 'home run' but it may be enough to help you find the space for a wiser response.

In that space, you are already mindful.

Welcome to a blog about coming home to what is.

Coming home to who you already are.

Who you truly are.

Here's an invitation ...

... maybe we can do some 'sole'-searching together?

The purpose of the blog is to share what it is to make sense of mindfulness - in the good, bad, and neutral moments that this life of ours throws our way.

We'll check out the wisdom of teachers and practitioners from all mindful walks of life.

The key thing is to share with you what it is to claim the mindful life you already have.I'd love you to subscribe.

With warm wishes.

Chris

How would it be to learn how to be with yourself in everyday moments of your life; to do all the activities you normally do with friendly awareness; to know in your heart how to live well with being the human you are; to develop a part of yourself as a buddy or coach; to be able to see more clearly how things really are so you can choose wise action?

How would it be to truly live in the present moment?

The Present is a new mindfulness course that will help you look at experience with interest, curiosity and friendliness but with no need to make changes. 

You will learn how to build curiosity, awareness and mindful attitudes. 

Come join The Present and experience mindfulness making sense for you.

Contact Chris at hello@alreadymindful.com for more details.

Exploring here and now means inviting our attention to the present moment; tuning in to being here. Read more

David Clode, Unsplash

Here are some mindfulness exercises for being present and staying in the here and now Read more

Image, OB OA, Unsplash
Part of being already mindful is knowing that you're on a continuum. It's never a home run. It's more of a working towards a home run: working towards the home run of bringing friendly awareness to wherever it is you happen to be in thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, and finding space within that realisation. Read more

Image, Jan Tinneberg, Unsplash

Where is the mindfulness course for those of us who are too busy to commit to a meditation practice? Too busy spinning plates? Read more

Image, Joshua Earle, Unsplash

just throw away all thoughts of
imaginary things,
and stand firm in that which you are.

What's here for you, in this present moment? Are you truly here?  Read more

If you'd care to look inside, you'd soon discover ... you are already mindful Read more

There was no epiphany, no eureka moment, there was no enlightenment, Read more

Maybe we should just relax into noticing wherever it is we are being led. Big things, small things. It’s all the same really. We’ve just got to learn how to soften up. Read more