I'm very lucky to have spent almost every waking moment of the last two years with someone who is almost always in the present moment - my daughter. I have learned so much from her about experiencing the present especially over the last year when she has been able to take a more active part in exploring the world around her. I like to think of her as my personal mindfulness teacher.
Babies and toddlers love sensory play - experiencing different textures, sights, sounds and if mummy doesn't whip the item away quickly enough, tastes. When she plays with sand she explores how it feels squeezed in her hand, falling through her fingers, burying her toes and it is so interesting to join in with her - to notice the coolness of the sand, how it moves when poured from a cup, the feel of it falling between my fingers. Simply getting in touch with my senses like this can help me stay present for the rest of the afternoon.
She pays attention to sounds so much more than I do - it makes me realise how many sounds I tune out of everyday life. Not long ago, whenever we went out for walks she would constantly shout "pigeon" or "crow" when each one did a call and she still lets me know every time a plane flies over our house. She does the same with sights when we are exploring outside - she'll point out stones, leaves, insects, animals, birds and so much more. All the little details in life which I tend to tune out, she delights in.
Now that her vocabulary is developing further and she's able to make more specific demands, she is great at encouraging me to join her in play. Today, after helping her make paint handprints, she insisted that it was my turn to make a "splat". I don't like getting messy, so the idea of covering my hand in paint really didn't appeal but I'm glad I let those passengers on my bus and chose to have a turn anyway. My daughter loved painting my hand and I took the chance to be fully present - to notice the cold, slippery texture of the paint on my hand and drop any judgements about the experience.
In several ACT mindfulness practices it is suggested to approach your experience like a curious scientist - I have been trying to look at it like a curious toddler, with that sense of wonder and fascination they naturally have towards all new things. I'm sure that there's still a lot more to learn by just slowing down and following my toddler's lead and I look forward to spending more time being present with her.
