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A Mindfulness Teacher's Reflection

The Question That Stayed With Me

A few weeks ago, I came across a book about the third act of life.

The idea is beautiful.

After years of working, raising children, caring for others, and meeting responsibilities… retirement can become a time to finally begin living the life you've always imagined.

More travel. More slow mornings. More walks. More time with the people you love.

As I read, a question stayed with me.

Why do we wait?

We Postpone Being Fully Alive

It is true that for many people, the third act brings a beautiful spaciousness, more room to explore, to learn, to give back, to enjoy.

But I wonder if sometimes… we postpone something much deeper than our plans.

Whether we are twenty-five and just starting out, building a business, raising children, or stepping into retirement…

We postpone being fully alive.

What Awakening Actually Looks Like

I once heard Davidji share a story about his teacher, Dr. David Simon, during a retreat at the Chopra Center, not long before Dr. Simon passed away.

One day, Davidji asked him:

"What is awakening?"

Instead of answering with philosophy, Dr. Simon simply smiled and said:

"Come."

They went into his office.

Dr. Simon read for a while. He played with his children. He made a few phone calls. He went about his ordinary day.

Finally, he turned to Davidji and said:

"This is being awake."

I have never forgotten that story.

Because awakening wasn't somewhere else.

It wasn't hidden on a mountaintop.

It wasn't waiting at the end of a long retreat.

It was completely entering the life that was already here.

The "Later" We Keep Saving Our Real Life For

I think many of us have a version of "later" we are saving our real life for.

"I'll slow down someday."

"I'll enjoy life after this project."

"I'll take better care of myself when the kids are older."

"I'll really start living…"

Later.

And the truth is, there are seasons when our responsibilities are very real. We may not be able to travel the world or spend every afternoon doing what we love.

But perhaps we don't have to wait for our circumstances to change before we begin living more wholeheartedly.

Maybe it begins much more simply than we think.

A slow cup of tea. Looking up at the sky for a few extra moments. A walk without rushing to the next thing. Listening to someone we love with our whole attention.

A Small Experiment — Right Now

Even now, as you are reading these words…

Pause for just a moment.

Notice your body. Notice your breath. Notice the awareness that is quietly reading these sentences.

Can you feel it?

There is a subtle aliveness here.

Almost a hint of joy.

Not because anything extraordinary is happening.

Simply because, for this moment… you are completely here.

I notice the same thing when I write these newsletters.

Sometimes there is a happiness that has nothing to do with finding the perfect words. It comes from being fully engaged with this moment, my hands typing, my mind exploring, my heart somehow with you, even across the distance.

Perhaps this is what it means to truly live.

Not to fill every moment with excitement. Not to squeeze every drop out of life.

But to meet each moment with a soft, awake presence.

The invitation is always the same.

Life isn't waiting in the future.

It is unfolding right here.

A Gentle Reflection

If your ideal life includes more peace, more joy, more connection, more wonder…

What is one small piece of that life you could begin today?

Not someday. Not after everything is finished.

Just today.

Because real living doesn't begin when all our responsibilities disappear.

It begins the moment we fully arrive in the life that is already here.

Maybe life isn't asking us to do more.

Maybe it's simply inviting us to be more fully here for the one that's already unfolding.

And if you'd like to practice together, you're warmly invited to join our weekly classes:

👉 zitamae.com/offerings

願我們不只是等待生命開始， 而是在此刻，溫柔地走進它。

May we stop waiting for life to begin, and instead, gently step into the one that is already here.

With warmth and always love, Caroline 🌿

Peace and always love

不要把你的生命留到以後——一位正念老師的省思

一個讓我一直想著的問題

幾週前，我讀到一本關於人生第三幕的書。

這個概念很美。

在多年的工作、養育孩子、照顧他人、承擔責任之後……退休可以成為一個終於開始過你一直想像中的生活的時候。

更多旅行。更多悠閒的早晨。更多散步。更多和你愛的人在一起的時光。

當我讀著，一個問題留了下來。

我們為什麼要等？

我們一直在推遲真正活著

對很多人來說，人生第三幕確實帶來了一種美麗的寬廣——更多空間去探索、學習、給予、享受。

但我在想，有時候……我們推遲的東西，比我們的計劃深得多。

不管我們是二十五歲剛剛起步，還是在建立事業、養育孩子，或者正在踏入退休……

我們都在推遲真正活著。

覺醒其實是什麼樣子的

我曾經聽過Davidji 分享一個關於他老師 大衛·賽門博士的故事，那是在喬普拉中心的一次靜修，就在大衛·賽門博士離世不久之前。

有一天，Davidji問他：

「覺醒是什麼？」

大衛·賽門博士沒有用哲學來回答。他只是微笑著說：

「來。」

他們走進他的辦公室。

大衛·賽門博士讀了一會兒書。和孩子們玩耍。打了幾通電話。就這樣過著他普通的一天。

最後，他轉向Davidji說：

「這就是覺醒。」

我從來沒有忘記這個故事。

因為覺醒不在別的地方。

它不藏在山頂上。

它不等在一次漫長靜修的終點。

它，是完全走進已經在這裡的生命。

我們一直在等的那個「以後」

我想，我們很多人都有一個「以後」，把真正的生命存放在那裡。

「我某天會慢下來。」

「這個計劃結束後，我會好好享受生活。」

「等孩子大一點，我會更好地照顧自己。」

「我真正的生活會……」

以後。

事實是，有些季節我們的責任非常真實。我們也許沒辦法環遊世界，或者每個下午都做自己喜歡的事。

但也許，我們不需要等到環境改變，才能開始更全心全意地活著。

也許，它從比我們想像中簡單得多的地方開始。

一杯慢慢喝的茶。 多看幾秒鐘天空。 一次不急著去下一件事的散步。 用全部的注意力聆聽一個我們愛的人說話。

一個小小的實驗——就在現在

就在現在，當你讀著這些文字……

暫停一下。

注意你的身體。注意你的呼吸。注意那個正在安靜地讀著這些句子的覺知。

你感受到了嗎？

這裡有一種細微的活著的感覺。

幾乎像是一絲喜悅。

不是因為發生了什麼特別的事。

只是因為，在這一刻……你完全在這裡。

當我寫這些文字的時候，我也注意到同樣的事。

有時候，有一種快樂，和找到完美的詞語無關。它來自完全投入這個當下——我的手在打字，我的心在探索，我的心某種程度上和你在一起，即使隔著這段距離。

也許這就是真正活著的意思。

不是把每一刻都填滿興奮。 不是把生命的每一滴都榨乾。

而是帶著一種柔軟、清醒的臨在，去迎接每一個當下。

這個邀請永遠是一樣的。

生命不在未來等著我們。

它就在這裡，正在展開。

一個溫柔的提問

如果你理想中的生活包含更多平靜、更多喜悅、更多連結、更多驚奇……

今天，你可以開始那個生活的哪一個小小的部分？

不是某天。不是等一切都結束之後。

就是今天。

因為真正的活著，不是從我們所有的責任都消失之後才開始的。

它從我們完全抵達已經在這裡的生命的那一刻，就開始了。

也許生命不是在要求我們做更多。

也許它只是在邀請我們，更完全地在這裡，為了那個已經在展開的生命。

歡迎你來，我們一起練習。🌿

👉 zitamae.com/offerings

願我們不只是等待生命開始， 而是在此刻，溫柔地走進它。

May we stop waiting for life to begin, and instead, gently step into the one that is already here.

滿懷祝福與溫暖，
Caroline

Peace and always love