I want to take this opportunity to remind you that where you sit (or stand) is holy ground. And this moment, right now, is a holy moment. Imagine never forgetting it! Imagine awakening to this truth! That’s what a regular practice of meditation can help you to do!

This moment, this breath, and wherever you are – ordinary as it may seem — is sacred; not because of the weather, not because of any event in history, nor because of any proclamation, but simply because you are here, now.

Perhaps there are no ordinary instances, just as there are no meaningless breaths.

Perhaps you think of holiness as something distant—something found only in ancient temples, mountaintop monasteries, or in the company of divine beings. I urge you to consider that holiness is not reserved for the extraordinary, in fact, it is the fabric of daily life and can be found in the smallest details.

This and every moment can be a gateway, a threshold, an entrance into an appreciation for your life. The past dissolves into this holy moment, and the future emerges from it. Imagine, that the entire universe has conspired to bring you this exact divine moment, this singular unfoldment of existence.

What if you recognized each moment as an offering, an opportunity to be present to the miracle of being alive, and the interconnectedness of all that is?

If you pay attention you won’t miss the possibilities of deep connection, deep awakening, and deep love. If you close your eyes and listen, you might sense it—the the quiet way the breath moves in and out of your body, the pulse of aliveness in the miracle of your body, the support and generosity of the earth.

As the great, late teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said, “There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.”

To experience a holy moment it helps to maintain a beginner’s mind, one free from judgment, expectation, or the need to control. You can meet each experience as if for the first time, letting go of what you think you know and welcoming what is actually here. When you release the grasp of preconceived notions and invite the new, the unknown—the discomfort, the beauty, the uncertainty, the fear, the joy, nothing needs to be different. Nothing is extra.

“To pay attention / this is our endless and proper work.”

I consider Mary Oliver to be the queen of paying attention and writing about it. The late award-winning poet seemed to let us in on a secret as she revealed that life is an offering when we pay attention, one holy moment after another.

Though a holy moment can be an instant, it can also be an eternity— and as we are absorbed into this endless now, we can become time-blind. Whether fleeting or endless, a holy moment is defined not by its duration, but by the depth of our presence as we meet it. Being present is devotional. It is how we say yes to life exactly as it is. Being present awakens us to the miracle of existence—not as an abstract idea, but as a felt experience in the body, breath, and heart.

I often liken mindfulness to be like sitting still atop a boulder in the middle of a flowing stream as new water goes by. In this way, you are the stillness, you are the witness to the coming and going, and, as you sit and appreciate the moment, without reaching for the next thing or clinging to what has passed, you can fully awaken to experience your precious life.