Mary O'Callaghan, psychotherapist and mindfulness trainer at the Oscailt Complementary Health Centre, Dublin.
Life is precious and each moment matters. Instead of hurrying through life as if being chased, why not put effort into slowing down and being alive to each moment as it arises?
An effective way to do this is to train yourself to bring awareness to your breathing even while engaged in such ordinary activities as washing up, tidying your desk or driving your car.
The more we attend to our breathing and use it as an anchor, the freer we become to engage more authentically with the world around us.
In our intimate relationships or with our colleagues at work this can mean more openness to what the other is saying rather than relying on our usual conditioned responses.
As we learn to slow down in this way we will find our experience of life, as we live it moment by moment more textured, more interesting and it will certainly be more fulfilling.
In conversation with Sylvia Thompson