Ordinary Experience
A Few Minutes of Practice
I’m on a bit of a break this week. Actually, more than a bit - I’m on a week-long meditation retreat, mostly in silence. This sort of extended practice can be wonderful. No distractions other than those you bring with you, no electronics, no notifications, nowhere to go and nothing to do. It’s not necessarily easy or relaxing, being confronted with your own mind 24/7, but you’re almost guaranteed to learn something.
The articles of the last few weeks reflect a lot of my current thinking. Ordinary experience isn’t so ordinary. We’re so trained to move on to the next thing, to look beyond what’s here in search of something more interesting, more important, or more rewarding, that we often miss the richness of the moment we’re already in.
A conversation becomes something to get through before the next task. A walk becomes a chance to think about tomorrow. Even pleasant moments can slip by unnoticed because attention is already leaning toward what comes next.
And yet, when you slow down enough to pay attention, ordinary experience reveals itself to be anything but ordinary.
The feeling of breathing.
The sound of rain against a window.
The warmth of a cup of coffee.
The sight of someone you love laughing at a joke they have heard a dozen times before.
Nothing remarkable.
And somehow, everything.
So this week, rather than another essay, I thought I’d leave you with a short practice. Nothing complicated. Just an invitation to pause for a few minutes and spend some time with the life that’s already here. I hope you’ll take a few minutes and listen.
-Scott
🎧 15 Minute Audio Meditation
Here’s a chance to be with ordinary experience for 15 minutes or so. Nothing complicated, just what’s here already. Take a listen.