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Alicia's Mindfulness

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Morality

The day welcomed Alicia as she stirred from her rest. Although she wasn't aware of it, she was going to start a journey that would deeply change her life. While Alicia was walking to the playground, she noticed an army of ants and stopped to watch them for a moment. Later, she noticed a bee flying from flower to flower.

The ants and the bees have a role in life, she thought before asking herself, what's my purpose? She didn't know the answer and kept on walking.

At the playground, Alicia observed a flock of birds flying in formation and realized that there was a natural intelligence and harmony in the world. She felt a deep emotional reaction.

The next morning, she heard a soft buzzing sound outside her window and saw a beautiful hummingbird. Its shiny feathers were glittering as it zipped about gracefully.

As Alicia opened the window to get a better look, she heard the hummingbird say, "Hi, my name is Koe-Soes."

She was so startled she almost didn't hear the tiny voice. She focused her concentration and heard, "Are you Alicia? I'm Koe-Soes."

Alicia was shocked that a bird was talking to her. She cautiously replied, "Yes, I'm Alicia.... But, how do you know my name, and how can you speak?"

Koe-Soes said, "Mother Nature sent me to guide you. She said she heard your desire to know your purpose. Mother speaks to those people who have a pure heart and a willing spirit. Mother Nature knows you are ready."

Koe-Soes continued. "I am here to teach you how to better understand your purpose in life, through the practice of meditation. Meditation is the path to insight and wisdom. You will learn to focus your mind on your body sensations with unconditional acceptance. Meditation will help you experience what is happening in your life with nonattachment and peace of mind. You're welcome to come outside so we can start your practice."

Although bewildered, Alicia understood Koe-Soes and smiled. She was unsure but also delighted, and so she went outside.

As they met in the yard, Koe-Soes explained, "In order to fulfill your purpose, you must have a calm and steady mind. The first step is to live a good life."

"What does a good life mean?" Alicia asked.

"It means to live a moral life. Please understand that you need to live a life of honor without harming yourself or others. Always treat others like you would like to be treated, with compassion and kindness. This is how to live a good life," Koe-Soes answered. "All life is sacred and interconnected. You will come to understand that to do harm to others is to harm yourself.

"You see, Alicia, you need a calm mind to experience reality as it is. Continuous mental chitchat creates disturbance. When your mind is disturbed, you become unbalanced and are unable to experience the natural harmony of the world. To quiet the mind is to live in peace. That is your purpose. This is the first step on your path."

Concentration

"Remember when I introduced myself and you couldn't hear me?" Koe-Soes asked.

Alicia nodded yes.

"What you did was focus the attention of your hearing sensation," Koe-Soes continued. "You have several senses through which you experience the world. The main senses are: seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, feeling, and involved thinking or consciousness."

"Con ... shus ... ness?" Alicia questioned.

"I know consciousness is a big word, but it simply means awareness," explained Koe-Soes. "It helps you understand the meaning of things. The universe speaks to you through your senses. That is how you get information. Something from the outside world touches one of your senses, and the mind recognizes it and decides if it's good or bad. This creates a body sensation, and a mental reaction is formed. This happens spontaneously and is automatic."

Alicia scratched her head. "Wow, that's a lot."

Koe-Soes clarified. "The mental reaction is an emotion that is connected to a body sensation or a feeling. When you have an emotion, it turns into a sensation in the body; the same thing happens the other way around. Feelings, or body sensations, create emotions. Whenever there is a thought or emotion, there is a sensation in the body. To experience this process firsthand is a function of meditation."

This was a lot for Alicia to understand, and she had a puzzled look on her face.

"Yes, it's a lot to understand," Koe-Soes told Alicia. "When you see something, your sense of sight starts to work. When you smell something, your sense of smell starts to work. When you eat or drink something, your sense of taste starts to work.

When you hear a voice or a noise, your hearing sense starts to work. When you feel something on your skin, your sense of touch starts to work. And when you have a thought, your mind sense starts to work."

Koe-Soes continued. "This is how the outside world touches your senses. This first step is identification. It's when your mind says, 'Something has happened, and I know what that is.' The second step is evaluation when your mind says whether it's good or bad. The third step is a physical reaction, a body sensation, a feeling. This is a natural job of the mind and body to let us know what's happening. But the fourth part, when the mind creates a mental reaction, is when you can affect a change. This is where you are in charge. Bringing your attention to the present moment is how you train your mind. Awareness without attachment is the key to transforming your life. Your goal is to learn how to be aware of your body sensations and not identify yourself with them. Present moment awareness with nonattachment brings you in harmony with life."

It was clear Alicia was still very overwhelmed with all of this.

"I know it's a lot of new stuff," Koe-Soes said. "Let's go find a safe and quiet place to learn to meditate."

They found a nice spot in Alicia's backyard under a shady tree. Koe-Soes began to guide Alicia. "Sit down, keep your back straight, place your hands comfortably in your lap, and close your eyes. Bring your attention to your nose. Can you feel the breath touching where it enters your nose?"

Alicia mumbled. "Uh-huh."

Koe-Soes confirmed. "Good. By focusing your mind on a small area of your body, you develop your concentration. The longer you can keep doing this, the stronger your mind will become. The goal is to keep your focus from moment to moment, continuously. Let's see how long you can do this before you become distracted."

It only took Alicia a few moments before she started to think about how silly all this was, and then she realized that she wasn't keeping her focus.

Koe-Soes sensed Alicia's struggle. "Yeah, it's hard work! But keep bringing your attention back. Don't get upset or frustrated. Accept this moment as it is. Gently refocus your attention."

They practiced together for several days, and Alicia noticed a steady improvement in her concentration.

One day, at the end of meditation, Koe-Soes observed the changes in Alicia. "You are making progress. You are training your mind to be in the present moment, not daydreaming or remembering. You want pure awareness—just watch, just witness. No reactions. A calm mind."

Alicia excitedly opened her eyes and said, "I get it! I can use my breath to sharpen my mind, so I can cut through the daydreams or the memories!"

They continued practicing, and Alicia became very strong at focusing her mind. She began feeling sensations all over her body but kept her attention on her breathing.

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Excerpted from Alicia's Mindfulness by Raul Salazar, Susan Shorter. Copyright © 2013 Raul Salazar. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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