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Sharon Salzberg on Mindfulness


Simple Ways to Be in the Present Moment by April Thompson


N


ew York City-born Sharon Salzberg experienced a


childhood full of loss and upheaval, losing her parents and living in five different household configurations. In col- lege, she discovered the power of meditation to transform suffering and cope with life’s never- ending changes. Born into a Jewish family, Salzberg first encountered Buddhism in 1969 in an Asian philosophy class, inspir- ing her to undertake an independent study program in India, where she was initiated into the practice via an intense 10-day retreat. “It was very difficult and painful. I sometimes doubted that I’d succeed, yet I never doubted that there was truth there,” she says.


Upon her return home, Salzberg


dedicated herself to the path of vipassana- (insight) meditation, becoming a renowned teacher and co-found- ing the Insight Medita- tion Society, in Barre, Massachusetts. Today she teaches and speaks to diverse audiences worldwide about the power of mindfulness. Salzberg has authored


nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, Real Happiness at Work and Lovingkindness.


How do you define mindfulness? Mindfulness is the quality of awareness. When we are mindful, our perception of the present moment isn’t so distorted by bias, adding our own storyline to reality and pushing away what’s happen- ing.


Is it possible to be mindful without having an established meditation prac- tice? Yes, theoretically, but I suspect it’s hard. I honor my own meditation practice for making mindfulness highly accessible for me. It doesn’t take many hours of prep work and is open to everyone. It’s really a practice, like strength training— you have to exercise the mindfulness muscle to reap the benefits.


What’s the best way to arrange time for meditation, and what can motivate us to practice regularly? Having a sense of structure has helped me the most. I believe strongly in the value of a daily practice, how- ever simple or short. We can ritualize certain practices to help remember to pause and be mindful. For example, every time the phone rings, let it ring three times and use that as a trigger to breathe. When you’ve finished writing an email, take a few conscious mo- ments before sending it. There are lots of ways to cut through the momentum of the busyness and craziness of our lives to return to mindfulness. Make a commitment to practice for a certain period of daily time for a month or two, and then reassess. Look for changes during the active course of daily life and query: How am I speaking to myself or to others? Am I more pres- ent? Am I more at ease in letting go? It’s important to look for these subtle changes rather than to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves such as being mindful all day.


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natural awakenings Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess NY Edition


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photo by Fabio Fiippi


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