“Each step may seem to take forever, but no matter how uninspired you feel, continue to follow your practice schedule precisely and consistently. This is how we can use our greatest enemy, habit, against itself.”
— Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche,
“Tortoise Steps”
Consider: how mindfulness practice extends to all aspects of our life. Being mindful is being awake and aware in all daily activities and this includes how we care for ourself. How we eat, how we move through the day, how we sleep and so on. The example of tortoise steps is so powerful. By placing our awareness on our self-care and take consistent steps we can change our old habits of unconsciousness. The changes we implement may feel slow and heavy but it is consistency that will lead us to being mindful in all we do.
Do: choose one facet of self care that you have allowed to fall from your consciousness. Bring it to mind now and place it in your awareness as you take several cleansing breaths. What is one steady step you can take this week and remain consistent with? Write this down, keep it by your bedside and honor yourself by committing to it through days of doubt. Make it part of your mindfulness practice because all of life is our practice.