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O, The Oprah Magazine: Most of the time my body is busy, though—my hands are making a meal or my feet are taking me somewhere. Should we be getting away from the purposeful use of the body for a certain portion of the day?

Tara Brach: The body is a wonderful instrument, but it's also aliveness itself. If you're having sex, you don't want to be thinking of the purpose; you want to be right there, tuned into sensation. If you're eating, you don't want to say the purpose is to nourish; you want to enjoy the taste. If you're skiing, the purpose isn't to get down the hill; you want to feel the movement. The life that is most cherished is not on our way to something else but is experienced directly.