“Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon
the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.”….. Thich Nhat Hanh
Stop for a moment and question yourself, chances
are you will be thinking about the past events or planning the future. Most of us either live in brooding the past or
worrying about the future by jettisoning the present.
We allow our present moment to be filled with
negative emotions caused by something which is not happening now nor it may never
happen in the future, we keep ruminating the past events or speculating the
future which robs us from the present perfect moment.
Given the hectic pace of life and the severe competition,
its necessary to peek in to the past and derive the insights and plan for the
future, but in doing so, we forget the present and get ourselves sucked in to the
past and future…..press the pause button and stay in the present.
Reams of books and articles have been written
about staying in the present moment.
The most effective one is mindfulness, being “Here and Now”
meaning, we are aware of what is happening around us at this moment while you don’t
get distracted by the past and the future.
Mindfulness is helpful to stay healthy and happy. It helps you fight anxiety, cut down
on your worrying and rumination, keeps you grounded, connected to
yourself and everything around you.
How to practice mindfulness: there are different ways to practice and it’s
just not sitting with closed eyes and observe the breath.
Few mindfulness practices you can adopt in your
everyday life and be conscious about it.
1 1. Eating: enjoy
every morsel of food and savor every bit of it...
2 2. Walk
mindfully: Thich Nhat Hanh -"walk as if you are kissing the
earth with your feet." Observe
what is going on around you -- the sights, sounds and life unfolding.
3 3. Observe
your breathing: Notice your natural breathing pattern and take note of how
your chest rises and falls with each breath this will help you grounded in the present moment.
4 4. Connect
with your senses: your arms resting on the arms of a
chair or on your lap, your legs on the chair or folded up underneath you, the
feel of your clothing on your skin, any pain or muscle aches, any twitches or
flutterings, and any other sensations you might be feeling....
5 5. Pause
between action: Putting mini pauses between actions in your day can ground you
in your inner being, clear your mind and provide you with fresh energy for the
new task ahead.
6 6. Mindfulness meditation: focusing on
your breathing, a word, or a mantra and allowing thoughts to come and go
without judgment
What you
have right now is the present moment if you live that moment fully, you will
create a great future.
“The secret of health for both mind and body
is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles,
but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”…Buddha