Pause Living In The Presence: (An Intro to Jewish Mindfulness)
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Feb 18, 2023 A concise look at paying attention on purpose and why the mind defaults to past and future. Discussion of how ritual and intent train attention and connect ordinary acts to a larger presence. Exploration of choosing responses in the tiny gap between stimulus and reaction. A guided mindfulness practice centered on sound wraps up the conversation.
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Mindfulness Defined As Trained Present Attention
- Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.
- Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition frames it as a trained attention that nurtures awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present reality.
You Only Live In The Present Moment
- Life unfolds only in moments, so missing the present means missing growth and meaningful connection.
- Epstein emphasizes rehashing the past and rehearsing the future as the mind's default that steals opportunity to be alive now.
Jewish Theology Makes Mindfulness Religious
- Judaism views God as continuously recreating the world moment by moment, making each moment divinely significant.
- Epstein links this theology to the idea that mindfulness uncovers the divinity imminent within each present moment.
