My problem with “mindfulness” used to be this: why would I WANT to be mindful while brushing my teeth? I’ve tried that, and daydreaming is way more fun. But now I know there is a whole mysterious subtle world behind the teeth, what they symbolize, and why we have them. And so brushing your teeth is a kind of ritual acknowledgement of the importance of them. I don’t know the significance now, but with enough time with and attention to them, maybe I’ll learn. The idea that everything is sacred makes mindfulness bearable to the curious mind.

And while brushing, it’s psychedelic to feel that the majority of 8 billion people are all doing this strange ritual daily.