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The Yoga of Daily Activity

Be mindful of every moment,
until chopping wood
and carrying water
each becomes a virtue
of the mind full of Now.

Yogic practice refers to physical, spiritual and mental practices design to discipline the mind through dance, exercise or song.

Thus mindfulness as yogic practice is when the mind remains in the present to savor the experience of living mindfully.

By turning daily activity into yogic practice, the devotee uses skillful means to transform them into virtuous actions.

Examples of daily activity consist of eating, cooking and playing. In all these daily activities, the mind is focused on virtuous actions.

Thus, eating as yogic practice becomes the virtuous actions of sustenance; cooking as yogic practice becomes the virtuous actions of meal preparation; and playing as yogic practice becomes the virtuous actions of playfulness.

By focusing on virtuous actions, each of these daily activities applies discipline to the mind of the practitioner through mindful experience in the present.

Therefore mental discipline contributes to the virtues of mindfulness.

In my daily life, I enjoy putting away containers, cutlery, dishes and glasses. Within ten minutes, the containers, dishes and glasses have been placed in the cupboards, and the cutlery into its drawer.

While performing this daily activity, my mind is focused on identifying each item, and placing them in their respective destination, be it cupboard or drawer.

Throughout each action performed to putting away containers, cutlery, dishes and glasses, my mind remains in the present moment.

After everything is put away, I finish by closing the drawer and the cupboards.

For a brief moment, I feel satisfied after completing my daily chore.

Why?

By being mindful of the present moment, daily activity becomes transformed into virtuous actions.


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