A Gift Given to Everyone (Trudy Goodman)

Dr. Trudy Goodman, PhD; Ananda, Dhr. Seven (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly

Meditating during the holidays helps more than doing it when everything is calm.

Gift Given to Everyone with Trudy Goodman

I would meditate, but I don't have time.

The holidays can be demanding and stressful as well as being a time for celebration, reflection, and gratitude.

One thing I’ve been reflecting on this week is that we often take the "gift" of existence for granted. This gift, both mundane and miraculous, is given freely to everyone who is alive.

Did we create ourselves? Did we call ourselves into being? None of us consciously did that. We are born a gift, and our existence is given to us [by our previous karma?] as a gift.

• Sunday Community Sit: A Practice Group with Trudy Goodman - InsightLA Meditation

This is the generosity of life creating life [in the endless wheel of samsara]. I feel a deep and primal gratitude for this life, even with all the intensity of existing in this world.

Being aware of our breathing can bring us into the present moment of this existence with a calmer mind/heart. This is especially helpful during the holidays. We might be feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and too busy when what we really need is some rest.

With the breath, it only takes a few minutes to step out of the hustle and bustle and be just where we are. With each in-breath you receive the gift of aliveness; each out-breath encourages our heart to relax and rest in the deep release of simply existing [being and becoming].

Mindful awareness

InsightLA Founder Dr. Trudy Goodman, Ph.D.

To practice mindfulness-of-breathing, find a comfortable seated position and lower that gaze so as to not be distracted. Bring full attention to the breath as it moves into and out of the body.

Notice the sensation of the breath as it moves through the nose, throat, chest, and belly. We can place one hand on our heart and one hand on our belly to help us focus on feeling the movement of our breath in the body as it ebbs and flows [like waves on the seashore].

Mindfulness of breathing is a simple and powerful way to remember the gift of existence and find some inner peace during the holiday swirl.

These few minutes of practice can help to bring us into the present moment – and can be practiced anywhere and anytime.

Each mindful breath is an invitation to appreciate the love and generosity of existence itself. We may discover a new dimension of gratitude for our precious human birth.

• All blessings for a loving, mindful, healthy and strong New Year, Trudy Goodman

ABOUT: Trudy Goodman is the founding teacher of InsightLA. Join her Sunday mornings for a warm community gathering at her special weekly practice group, Sunday Community Sit: A Practice Group with Trudy Goodman.

• (Classes are on Sundays from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm PT)

Give the gift of mindfulness this season! YES, I want to make TWICE the difference this holiday season. Please use my gift to provide mindfulness and meditative programs to those who need it most and to support all the work of InsightLA!