Mindfulness is one of the therapeutic buzz words of late. Basically there are various tricks, exercises and techniques people, therapists and yoga instructors use to help you become more present in the moment. The focus is on the here and now. The idea is that the more present you can be in the moment th
e less unproductive anxiety, fear and trauma a person will feel in the present. We can’t change the past, or predict the future. We can only control ourselves in the present.
While the buzz around mindfulness therapeutically is relatively new, mindfulness in not a new concept. This idea has been around forever. There are quotes in the Bible, from ancient philosophers, gurus, shaman and Buddhist teachings all connected to this idea of mindful living. You only need to look at your Tumblr account, Pinterest or Facebook page to see a deluge of inspirational quotes that try to encourage people to be more present in their lives. You would think that given my profession, and my education that I would be able to grasp this concept. But I don’t think I really got it until today.
A few months ago I found myself drowning in people’s sorrow and stress. This is an occupational hazard. Empathy is an amazing tool of my trade but it is one that has sharp edges. Like a knife, empathy can cause wounds and even scarring if you are careless.
I needed some “Me” time. This led me to Niagara Falls. For the past few days I joined my husband on a business trip. He is at a conference and I have five full days with no responsibility, no kids, no cleaning and nothing to do but be. Like most of us I rarely just hang out with me, doing whatever I want to do. Life is busy. So hanging out with me is a great exercise in mindfulness. It is hard to avoid yourself when no one else is around.
Yesterday I was invited on a wine tour. I spent the day walking through vineyards and wineries hearing all about the history of wine in the region, and all the hours of labour that goes into making a bottle of wine. It wasn’t until I was in the basement of winery standing next to a barrel of wine that I was overcome by the grandness of it all. That is when I experienced for the first time mindfulness.
I was uniquely privileged to be in that place at that moment in time. Many years of work went into not only the wine that was in the barrel in front of me but into my life as well. The past is what brought me there. I was born into and remain in a place of privilege in this world. Not everyone can afford or has the ability to tour a vineyard. Many people struggle to make ends meet or struggle with other things that make a wine tour seem preposterously out of reach. By luck, circumstance and some hard work, I am not generally one of those people. By most of the world’s standards I am doing well. I am not wealthy but I am also not poor. I am in a happy marriage with a wonderful family that all are doing reasonably well. In that moment with my hand placed against the wine barrel instead of feeling guilty about my fortunes I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
That moment wasn’t just about me. In fact it had little to do with me in many ways. That wine went through years of growing, stirring, and fermenting to bring it to that barrel. There is a history almost as long as human history that went in to the creation of that barrel of wine; so many people with so many different stories. Some of the stories are happy and some are tragic but most of them I will never know.
The future also became alive to me in that moment. Three hundred bottles of wine were in that barrel. If all went well that wine would be part of other stories. It will be a part of the celebration of an anniversary or part of friends reconnecting over a glass of wine. It will be used to relax and enjoy an evening or it will be used to calm nerves. It may even help console heartache or incite the rage of an addiction. The potential of all those stories were contained in that barrel and in that moment I was merely a witness.
Mindfulness isn’t just about breathing, reflecting or appreciating the present. For me it is also about recognizing and embracing the past and the future in the moments of my life. So with my hand on the barrel I said a silent blessing for everyone that will drink those bottles of wine and a thank you to all those people that contributed to making it. For that moment in time I felt intimately connected with them all.
In case you are wondering the barrel was a red wine from Pilliteri Estates, likely a pinot of some variety. It should be available in 2-5 years.