Every day offers opportunities to fully embrace the present moment and live life from a place of connection.

5 Habits of Mindfulness

When we engage with the present moment consciously rather than going through life on autopilot, lost in our thoughts, we expand our capacity to experience a profound sense of vitality and heightened presence in our daily existence. I perceive this as an energetic sensation coursing through my body during moments of awe. It materializes when I hear the captivating calls of a flock of geese, observe the full moon illuminating the nearby lake, or receive a warm greeting from a friend or stranger. It’s a feeling of amazement, warmth, and love—a realization that declares, “I am here, alive, in this very moment!”

Through these experiences, we can rediscover our foundation, reconnect with our true selves, and live more authentically from our hearts as we navigate the journey of life. This state of present-moment awareness can lead to a visceral sense of interconnectedness with all living things. When we experience this unity—whatever we may call it—the world opens up before us. We become receptive to the richness of life, and our lives are forever transformed.

5 Essential Practices for Daily Mindfulness

This kind of awareness is often depicted as a singular, spontaneous event that occurs to us suddenly. In reality, it’s an ongoing endeavor. Each day, every experience, and every choice provides an opportunity to cultivate embodied mindfulness through five fundamental practices:

• Returning to the present moment
• Connecting with something greater
• Cultivating trust
• Embodying compassion
• Maintaining openness

These are the practices that I consistently revisit in my work with clients. After serving as a hospital and hospice chaplain for many years, I felt a deep calling to help people embrace the fullness of life right now, rather than waiting for a future moment, such as their death.

As humans, we frequently slip into autopilot mode, engaging with others and the world out of habit and disconnection. These five practices enable us to rediscover our grounding, rediscover our identity, and live with greater authenticity from our hearts each day as we navigate the complex terrain of life.

The Power of the Present Moment

For me, the value of these practices became crystal clear during a moment of fear.

In my early thirties, I was a senior account executive at Time Warner and had earned a sales-incentive trip to Costa Rica. These trips were typically enjoyable, and Costa Rica’s lush accommodations awaited us.

One of our excursions involved whitewater rafting, and I felt apprehensive even before we began. We were navigating level three rapids, but due to recent rainfall, they were more like level four. Our raft’s leader was a member of Costa Rica’s Olympic whitewater rafting team, and he fearlessly led our eight-person boat down the center of each rapid. I struggled to hold onto the raft’s handle in the back corner as my heart raced. When we hit a massive rapid, I was thrown upward and out of the raft. Despite wearing a life vest and helmet, I was pulled deep underwater.

In that terrifying moment, I recollected when I was an 11-year-old cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. I saw myself as a fragile, hairless child lying alone and frightened in a hospital bed.

Then, just as I had at the age of 11, a sense of peace washed over me, filling every fiber of my being. I surrendered to it and trusted that everything would be alright, regardless of the outcome. My body relaxed, and next thing I knew, I was pulled onto a boat by my life vest. I was in shock and unable to speak, but I overheard that we had to continue down the river to reach safety.

Gradually, my body calmed as we reached the shore. I was utterly drained.

What I learned that day while navigating the rapids of a Costa Rican river was a lesson in trust. This near-death experience marked a turning point in my adult life. It heightened my sense of being alive, similar to the feelings I experienced as a young child living in the present moment. Confronting death again provided me with a fresh perspective on life, deepening my understanding of what it means to be fully alive.

Returning to the Practice

These five practices—returning to the present moment, connecting with something greater, nurturing trust, embodying compassion, and embracing openness—have molded my identity and my comprehension of being alive. I consciously engage with and embody them in my daily life.

We all encounter ups and downs, moments of sorrow, and challenges. The critical question is how we choose to navigate them. Do we respond in a manner that makes us feel closed off, disengaged, and disconnected from ourselves and the world? Or do we opt for the opposite path, opening ourselves to greater presence and vitality?

Each practice alone can bring a sense of peace, comfort, and spaciousness. Yet, these practices also complement and reinforce one another. Returning to the present moment allows us to step out of our thinking minds, making space for compassion and a feeling of interconnectedness with those around us. This sense of connection aids us in growing our trust by embracing the present moment and listening deeply. When we are fully present in the moment, unburdened by our thoughts, we can experience life more profoundly in our bodies, hearts, and entire beings. The relief of returning to the present moment, combined with a tangible sense of interconnectedness, trust, and compassion, empowers us to maintain openness in the face of life’s inevitable challenges. By remaining open to all that life presents, we can live fully and love deeply.

We need not await imminent death or a dramatic life event to practice mindfulness in our daily lives. Everyday life offers us numerous opportunities to gradually cultivate these skills. We all face life’s ups and downs, its sorrows and trials. The choice is whether we navigate these experiences in a way that closes us off, numbs us, and isolates us from ourselves and the world, or whether we opt to open ourselves to greater presence and vitality.