One of my favourite hikes takes me through the jungle, passing a grove of avocado trees, a grove of mango trees, an orchid garden, a long sandy beach with blue clay, and high cliffs and narrow paths which plunge to the ocean. Although I make this pilgrimage every year several times, I am always moved by the beauty that is present here. Sometimes I am lost in my thoughts and bring myself back to the presence that the natural world offers so generously.
Wherever you place your awareness, energy follows. Am I focusing on the exquisite beauty that lies ahead or is my focus on the branches that obstruct my clear view. I noticed that through out the day the mind moves in and out of random thoughts and that it is my choice as to what I choose to focus on. However, I also notice that the mind is so tricky, in the way it grasps on to a thought and runs with it...
Suddenly, like the brilliance of these red tropical flowers, you stop, and realize you have been walking on the path completely unconscious of your steps. You bring yourself back to the moment, back to the present, back to the breath, back to the body. Now how many times do you do this in one day, hundreds or even thousands of times. The practice is to be aware of where your thoughts are taking you because your energy is sure to follow this pattern.
Rather than mindfulness I prefer "mind-awareness".
"Every moment you are imagining your life". Solano