Three Pathways to Presence this Summer
“The little things? The little moments? They aren't little."
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
Hello, Everyone!
I hope that you are all well and enjoying a wonderful start to summer!
The movement and energy of the summer season invite us to step more fully into life—into nature, family, travel—and to fully engage our senses and connect with the world around us. With so much going on, this is often a time when many of us find ourselves more off than on the cushion, gathering with loved ones, exploring new places and drawn into more activity.
Yet, within all the activity, summer also offers us the potential to slow down and mindfully tune in to what is happening—both within and around us. Think quiet walks in the woods, back floats on water, eating a rainbow of fresh food, a long hug with a friend, and maybe even a nap in the soft shade of a tree, if we’re so lucky. :)
After spending the better part of the year focusing on specific Buddhist principles, this summer we’re going to return to the heart of the practice—present moment mindfulness. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be sharing reflections on three essential elements of mindfulness and pathways to presence, as taught by world renown meditation teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn—intention, attention and attitude. Drawing from these three interwoven threads, we’ll explore ways to feel focused, compassionate and attuned—in the midst of all that this summer may bring.
Intention: Where Mindfulness Begins
As Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches, and is stressed in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), intention is what sets the direction for the practice. It’s important to note that intention is not about striving or setting goals. Rather, with mindful intention, we consciously invite ourselves to choose to be present, to slow down and to connect with what’s already here.
In a season filled with activity, intention helps us reclaim our anchor in the present moment. This may be as simple as intending to listen more deeply to others, eating with more awareness, or responding rather than reacting—and to do all with curiosity, kindness and awareness.
In MBCT, we talk about shifting from 'doing' mode to 'being' mode. Intention is what allows that shift. So much of modern life pulls us into striving—into solving, achieving, producing. Returning to mindful intention helps us to pause and ask if we are reacting automatically and/or stuck in autopilot, or if we’re choosing to meet our present moment experience with loving awareness.
Setting intention doesn’t need to be elaborate. It might be as simple as choosing to be kind to yourself today, to bring curiosity to a conversation, or to really taste your food. Especially in summer, when life tends to speed up, intention offers us a way to consciously choose to cultivate awareness and set a direction for our attention.
Attention: Returning to What’s Here
Intention sets our course, and attention is how we walk the path—one step, one breath, one moment at a time. In practice, we use attention to notice what’s happening as it’s happening.
In summer, especially, when so much is happening, we can soften the mental scatter that keeps us disconnected by checking in, noticing if we’re present in this moment, and asking where our attention is. If we notice that we’re not present, that’s okay. The practice is simply to begin again. Our minds will wander, and we return. Not with judgment, but with kindness.
The long days and lushness of summer offer us many ways to practice attention. We might notice the way light filters through the trees, the taste and texture of fresh fruit, and the rhythm of our breath as we move through the day. We might also notice that the more we attune to the present moment, the more life feels alive.
Attitude: How We Relate to This Moment
Mindfulness isn’t just about what we notice; it’s also about how we meet what we notice. The attitude we bring to our awareness is just as important as the awareness itself. Are we judging? Resisting? Rushing through? Or are we meeting the moment with curiosity, kindness, and a willingness to stay with what we’re being presented with?
We’re not practicing to control our experience. Rather, we’re learning to be in relationship with it. To soften around what’s difficult. To appreciate what’s beautiful. To stop clinging or avoiding and start befriending what’s actually here.
We learn to meet our experience not with self-criticism or urgency, but with a spirit of gentle curiosity. Rather than judging ourselves for feeling anxious, distracted, tired, or overwhelmed, we begin to recognize those states as part of the human experience. This is a radical shift from trying to “fix” what we feel to learning how to be with it.
This attitude isn’t passive. In a world that constantly tells us to strive, improve and move faster, choosing to meet ourselves with care, kindness and curiosity is an active choice and mindful act. It takes practice. However, each time we pause and ask, What is the quality of attention I’m bringing to this moment?, we create space for self-compassion, for connection, and for something new to emerge.
Cat Tales...
What Max and Pearl Show Us About Simple Summer Living
Max and Pearl are often the best of friends. That is until Max wants to lie down on a spot he considers his own that Pearl is sitting on. But most of the time, he enjoys sharing their favorite spot together. In the photo above, there they are, doing what they love to do—hanging with each other, chillin, and just letting the day go by as the sun warms their fur.
This summer, let's take lessons from Max and Pearl and also enjoy simple good times with good friends, relaxing together during these long summer days. Knowing that resting here—just here—is a moment to relish.
As we move into the zenith of summer, the invitation this month is to pause and practice the heart of mindfulness by cultivating an inner posture of friendliness and care. This might look like enjoying some downtime, like our dear Pearl and Max, to just relax. Or, to take a moment to pause when you notice frustration rising and offer yourself a breath instead of blame. This could mean observing your thoughts without getting lost in them. Or simply letting yourself be—without needing to change anything at all.
The intention, attention and attitude we bring colors every moment. Practiced with care, kindness and awareness, over time, we shift our relationship not only with ourselves, but with the world around us.
I hope you each find small, sacred pauses and presence in unexpected places this summer— in the taste of ripe fruit, in the warmth of a hug, in the softness of a sunset.
I want to express my deepest appreciation and love to each of you.
Thank you for your presence—I’m so happy that you are here!
May you be filled with warmth and kindness.
May you be happy, healthy and safe.
May your heart know peace.
In kindness,
Karen
The Practice
Intention, Attention, Attitude
These three elements—intention, attention, and attitude—are not tasks to accomplish. Rather, they are gentle reminders, invitations, and anchors to return to.
This summer, I invite you to begin weaving these qualities into your everyday moments, and to allow the warmth of the season support your practice. Engage your senses. Feel your feet on the earth. Notice the taste of summer fruit. Listen more deeply. Pause before responding. Let presence arise wherever you are.
A Simple Summer Check-In
This check-in is a powerful, yet gentle way to come back to the present—again and again and again.
Try pausing once or twice each day—perhaps before a meal, between tasks, or in a moment of transition—and ask yourself:
Am I connected to my intention right now?
Where is my attention right now?
What attitude am I bringing to this moment?
Notice what arises in your body. Feel your breath. Tune in to your senses. Be here, now.
Resources
Read...
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. Jon Kabat‑Zinn’s classic book invites us into the heart of mindfulness, which is to be fully present, wherever we are. He reminds us that meditation isn't reserved for retreats or the cushion. It’s a way of living. With simple practices, we learn to notice thoughts and feelings without judgment, opening to compassion in ordinary moments. We also learn about cultivating “non‑doing” awareness—a curious attention that enriches everything from sitting to daily chores—and how steady presence helps to dissolve habitual reactivity. Again, Jon shows us that mindfulness is available with each breath, in every moment.
Watch...
Your Thoughts are Bubbles. In this talk, Jon Kabat-Zinn reminds us that thoughts are like weather patterns in the mind—often stormy, fast-moving, and emotionally charged. However, through practicing mindfulness, we can begin to see that we are not our thoughts. When we rest in awareness, thoughts naturally arise and dissolve, like soap bubbles bursting in air. We don’t need to suppress them or fix them. With gentle curiosity and self-compassion, we can observe them, allowing insights to emerge organically. It’s not about striving. Rather, we learn to relate to our present moment experience differently—to rest in the open space of awareness, where even stormy thoughts gently dissolve on their own.
Listen...
Jon Kabat-Zinn | Meditation as a Love Affair. (Find this 10% Happier with Dan Harris episode 223 wherever you get your podcasts.) In this heartfelt conversation, Jon invites us to enter meditation not as a task, but as a love affair. He emphasizes that mindfulness isn’t confined to sitting still. Rather, it’s a deep, moment‑by‑moment presence that can infuse every aspect of life. With gentle curiosity, we explore our inner landscape, noticing thoughts, emotions, and sensations with kindness, allowing them to self‑liberate. Through this loving attention, we reconnect with our inherent wisdom and aliveness—discovering that each breath, each pause, is a chance to fall in love with life itself.
In case you’re unaware and interested, I offer an online, donation-based meditation class/guided practice every other Monday night 8-9pm EST in a relaxed and warm setting on Zoom. The only requirement is an interest in increasing mindful awareness and skills through practice and growing your inner wisdom. If you’re interested in beginning, reconnecting with or deepening your meditation practice in community, we’d love for you to join us! Get more details and register here.
I also offer 8-week courses on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Anxiety, Depression & Stress. The MBCT course is designed to help you tap into your heart, body and mind and listen deeply to your inner experience. You’ll gain insight and skills that give you a choice as to how to respond to life’s difficulties while learning how to cultivate a new and gentler relationship with anxiety, depression and stress. More information about the course can be found on the 8-Week MBCT Course page of my website.
Also, if you know of anyone interested in deepening their mindfulness and meditation practices, please forward this email along and invite them to join as well! All are welcome and can sign up for the newsletter on my website.
Dr. Karen Walant has been a practicing psychotherapist for almost three decades and holds a MSW and PhD in Clinical Social Work from New York University. Karen supervises other clinicians in private practice and has given lectures around the country on issues related to attachment, mindfulness, meditation, addiction and recovery, deepening the therapeutic relationship, parenting with kindness, and fostering compassionate relationships. She is the author of Creating the Capacity for Attachment: Treating Addictions and the Alienated Self. A long-time meditator and teacher, Karen is a 2021 graduate of the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program (taught by meditation experts Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield), is certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Mentor, and is certified as a Level I Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Teacher through Brown University, and completed her Certificate in Mindfulness and Psychotherapy from the Institute for Mindfulness and Psychotherapy in 2022.