Experiment with dedicating a day to undertaking just one thing at a time with wholehearted attention.

Start in the morning from the moment that you awake. As you dress, shower and eat breakfast, explore what it means to attend fully to just one activity at a time. Sense your body moving in those activities -- all the sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and sensations help within that moment.

Each time your mind begins to lean into the next moment with plans, anticipation, rehearsal, or anxiety, just gently come back to where you are.

As you move into your day, walking to your car or bus stop, sense what it means just to walk with your attention fully present within your body.

Sense what it means to let go of hurrying. Be aware that hurrying is a state of mind born of being preoccupied with arrivals and results rather than attending to the present. Doing one thing at a time does not mean everything being performed at a snail's pace. We discover we can often do things quickly and fully without hurrying.

When you engage in conversations during your day, on the telephone or directly with another person, sense what it means to listen wholeheartedly and to be fully present with that person.

If you are writing, give your attention to feeling the touch of the pen in your hand, the movement of your hand as your write.

When you stop to eat, refrain from picking up a newspaper or book and be wholeheartedly present just with the activity of eating.

Approach each task in the day with the willingness to devote an undivided attention to it.

If you find that your pace of activity begins to accelerate and you feel hurried, take that moment just to pause and be still. Be aware of your body and breathing and allow the sense of being rushed to calm.

Throughout the day, commit yourself to just attending to one thing at a time with a sensitive attention.

As you return home in the evening, sustain the dedication to being fully present. As you prepare food, talk with a friend, read, listen to music, undertake each of these things with a genuine dedication to being awake and present within them.

Sense what happens for you as you begin to integrate body, mind, heart, and present moment. Be aware of the calmness that may begin to appear, the way in which less is taken for granted, and your growing capacity to approach each moment with sensitivity and appreciation.

Notice the moments when your attention is divided or scattered and explore in those moments the possibility of pausing, being still and again renewing your intention to be fully present and balanced.

Receive all of the moments of tension, contractedness, and inner busyness as messengers inviting you to return to a greater simplicity and attentiveness in the moment.

Christina Feldman in Heart of Wisdom, Mind of Calm