Contemplative exercise Finley
“Sit in meditation for about twenty to thirty minutes.
Slowly stand.
Walk in a slow mindful manner to the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes. Stand at the sink, mindfully gazing for a moment at the dishes.
Slowly and mindfully put soap in the sink.
Fill the sink with hot water, attentive to the simple givenness of the sound of running water.
Wash, rinse, and place each item in the drainer with mindfulness.
When the dishes are finished, pull the plug,
listen to and watch the water going down the drain.
Rinse out the sink with mindfulness.
Dry each item and put it in its proper place with natural and deliberate mindfulness.
Wipe off the counter tops with mindfulness.
Slowly walk back to your place of sitting meditation
sit for another twenty to twenty-five minutes.
Open a journal and write spontaneously and sincerely about what it would be like to live in this way.”
From Richard Rohr’s daily meditations, August 5, 2017Adapted from James Finley, The Contemplative Heart , Sorin Books: 2000, 46, 125-126.
James Finley writes about how meditation and performing daily tasks might be integrated. This is a mindful life. Finley offers us one more way to put ourselves in position to connect to God, especially if you have difficulty just sitting and meditating. He suggests starting small, with small tasks, moving boxes, filing papers, picking up the mail, taking out the garbage. Do it for just a few minutes a day. Try it today. I’ll be experimenting with you.
Joanna joannaseibert.com