If you choose a single day to be mindful this year, Wisdom Publications, longtime publisher of books on Buddhism and mindfulness, hopes you’ll make it September 12th, one week from today. And they plan to make sure you’re not alone.
The publisher’s inaugural Mindfulness Day is meant to raise awareness about the value and benefit mindfulness brings, and give individuals and communities the chance to experiment with and practice meditation.
In the spirit of the occasion, Wisdom is creating an online platform to inspire people to create space in their lives for meditation, encouraging people to join their Mindfulness Day Facebook page to share ideas, pictures and videos on how mindfulness has impacted them and to share plans for celebrating.
How does one celebrate Mindfulness Day? Tim McNeill, Wisdom’s president and publisher, offers that having a mindful celebration means reconnecting with family, the community and the self in a spirit of quiet contemplation. Some of his suggestions include gathering communities to share an afternoon of meditation, or having families reconnect over a shared meal.
“The possibilities are limitless,” says McNeill. “Commuters who ride the same bus or train can find a way to take a quiet mindful moment or two. Or, thirty. Our hope is that Mindfulness Day will continue and grow into an annual event.”