Start Your Mindfulness Practice
With Katie Dutcher, mindfulness and meditation teacher
Mindfulness is being right here, right now, without needing to change anything—giving this present moment your full attention.
Practicing mindfulness can help us to focus, learn to live in the present moment, deal with stress skillfully, and develop compassion in how we relate to others and to ourselves. In fact, being mindful for even a few minutes can utterly transform how we feel and respond to the world.
Here at Quest for Eternal Sunshine, we embrace mindfulness as an important tool for healing, wisdom and self-discovery. We’re happy to support your mindfulness practice by offering easy tips and an assortment of guided meditations ranging from two minutes to twenty. Enjoy!
Guided Meditations
2 Minutes
5 - 10 Minutes
15 - 20 Minutes
In-the-Moment Mindfulness
How to practice mindfulness in the everyday moments of your life:
Pace: Slow down, let go of hurry.
Presence: Just do that one thing at a time, no multi-tasking!
Perception: Engage your senses—what do you see, hear, smell, taste, feel?
Pay full attention in the present moment, suspending rumination about the past and worries about the future. When you notice that your mind has wandered back to the past or into the future, you can just note, “thinking,” and in that moment you’ve already returned to the present. Try practicing mindfulness when you’re washing dishes, walking outside, taking a sip of coffee—anytime!
Welcoming the Present Moment, Just as It Is
An important part of being mindful is accepting the truth of the present moment, just as it is. From an evolutionary standpoint, humans are primed toward judgement and evaluation because the ability to quickly see and point out what’s wrong or threatening allows us to avoid possible dangers and make wise decisions. Often this critical mindset causes us to spend our energy grumbling about the actions of others or situations that are outside our control…and the critique even extends to how we view ourselves, which can impede our joy, learning and growth.
When you’re meditating, if you notice critiquing or judging thoughts (such as, “What’s wrong with me? My mind is wandering so much!”), practice talking to yourself with kindness and a sense of humor, more like you would talk to a good friend or beloved child.
And in your daily life, notice when you’re in resistance of the present moment—”It shouldn’t be this way! They shouldn’t have said that! I wish I had never gotten involved with this!”
Despite wishing it were otherwise, it is this way, they did say that, you are involved. There’s no revising the past, there’s no arguing with the reality of the present, but there is always choice in how you respond, and your mindful response shifts what happens in the next moment.
Welcoming the present moment allows us to devote our precious energy resources to what we actually can influence: we can take a moment to breathe and calm ourselves, we can respond intentionally to what’s occurring, and we can find ways to care for ourselves within the difficult moments.
Mindfulness isn’t just about working through the hard times: we can be fully present in the beautiful moments, too, not missing the experience by being lost in how it could be just a bit more perfect, or having our attention pulled away by a nagging thought from yesterday. The practice of welcoming and savoring the present moment allows us to absorb and be nourished by joy, wonder, and gratitude that arise naturally.
In this way, practicing mindfulness can bring us peace within challenges and enjoyment of life’s gifts.
Explore more Tools for Healing
Mindfulness in Nature
When we’re outdoors, it is often easier to slow down and let our attention be captivated by the richness of the present moment.
Take a Moment
Tiny pauses to be right here, right now can have big results. Our series of micro-meditations—all under two minutes long—invite you to access the calm that is always within you.
Tech Detox Guide
Cultivate a more conscious relationship with your technological devices to engage more fully with the present moment.
Katie Dutcher is a teacher of mindfulness and meditation based in Monterey, California, and a regular contributor and consultant with Quest for Eternal Sunshine. She is a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a Certified Mindful Outdoors Guide, and the host of Flourish & Bloom—a membership platform offering resources and events for mindfulness, self-discovery, and greater well-being. Receive Katie’s newsletter and learn about her upcoming offerings.
Being mindful and present is simple enough for children to understand, and at the same time, rich enough to inspire a lifetime of exploration. In my teaching, I focus on bringing presence, acceptance, and intentionality into our everyday life. My passion is to help people shift from self-judgment to friendliness toward themselves—when we are more at home within ourselves, we can be with others in a more kind and loving way. ~ Katie
Myra’s Blog Posts on Mindfulness
