Spring present

"Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It's approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression.”

I need to practice being in the present at this end of winter; so a suggestion to focus on immediate surroundings is especially pleasant now that spring has begun in Minnesota.

I get a thrill outta

- noticing the curly hollyhock growth of vivid green that promises hope as the snow cover melts; and as I uncover the soil on the south-side garden,

- watching the tulips’ turgid leaves emerge skyward,

- enjoying the quick rise of daffodils' delicate shoots, and

- marveling at the star-shaped explosion of lupine leaves.

Practicing being present is not so hard in today’s present.