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rather
complex and challenging. Just how does one live in the present
moment? I certainly don't claim to have the answer to one
of life's great questions, but I will share with you what has
worked for me. I could probably write a hundred pages on this
topic, but for now I'll stick with some of the key points that
have helped me focus on becoming more present.
Breathe
Proper breathing is the simplest step toward being present and
is also quite possibly the most effective. Learn to breathe naturally
using slow, deep breaths. Maintain good posture and pull your
breath down into your abdominal area, not your chest; and note
that your inhale and exhale should have the same duration. If
you ever watch a baby or a sleeping person breathing, you'll get
the idea. Most of us don't breathe appropriately while conscious.
Proper breathing helps keep us centered, and will naturally lead
us to be in the present moment.
Several times a day, practice and focus on your breathing. With
enough practice it will eventually become as natural as when you
were a baby.
Relax
To me, relaxing is breathing's twin—one always leads
to the other. But just like breathing, relaxing seems to be increasingly
difficult in the modern world. This can be seen in the vast amount
of stress experienced each day. Living with tension and stress
keep us focused on the future, where possible relief might exist.
It's nearly impossible to be present while tense or stressed.
Only through a relaxed state can one enjoy the current moment.
Make
it a point to relax on a regular basis throughout each day. Start
at the top of your head and focus on relaxing your entire body,
part by part, all the way down to your toes.
Stop
Thinking!
It seems to be the nature of us silly humans—we tend
to think too much. This pulls us away from the present moment.
We are taught at a young age to value thinking, but then we all
go overboard. We think and think and think. We spend too much
time thinking about either the past or the future, and we avoid
the present moment. But sometimes we aren't thinking about the
past or the future; we're just stuck thinking about useless things,
like "I wonder if I look fat today" or "How does
an acorn turn into a tree?" or even worse, we have absolutely
NO IDEA what we're thinking about! If we can learn to stop thinking,
then we can just be. This is really the crux of meditation—controlling
our thinking, finding silence in the mind, and learning that we
are not our thoughts.
A
few times a day, try to clear your mind. If you have trouble thinking
of nothing, try focusing on your breath, or think of something
simple like a cloud in the sky. Eventually you'll experience the
beauty of a quiet mind.
Accept
What Is
If you can't accept where you are in life, then you will never
be present. If you're constantly thinking that life will be better
only at some point in the future, then you're living in denial.
If you can't accept the present, then only the future exists.
Let's face it, what is, is. The quicker we can accept this
the quicker we learn to be present. Understanding the present
is the key to the future—you can't have a good future
without acknowledging and living in the present.
A
wonderful affirmation to help accept your current state is to
say to yourself "I am perfect where am today; I am at
the perfect place in my life." This true statement will
help you accept where you are and realize the beauty of the present
moment.
Just
Be
Lastly, I'd like to recommend spending time just being.
We're so busy doing things that we get stuck in a cycle of doing
and forget how to just be. The cycle of doing becomes a
habit and I believe we actually become addicted. We then define
ourselves by our activities and become afraid to stop. Who
will I be if I stop doing things and be still? Our busy mind
and ego don't want us to find out. The irony is that by being
we'll actually discover who we really are.
Spend
some time in the next week just being. Sit in a chair and do nothing;
go for a walk by yourself; or anything out of the ordinary. It
might be scary or uncomfortable at first, but eventually you'll
appreciate how it guides you to the present moment.
If
you don't already put these things into practice, try working
on these steps daily for one week and see what results you get.
I think you'll be impressed, even in that short of a time. Then
think of the wonderful benefits of practicing these habits over
a lifetime!
After years of practice, I have now experienced moments that have
literally blown me away. I'm unable to describe with words the
beauty of these moments—it's almost as if the world
opened up into a new dimension that I didn't know was possible,
where everything was beautiful and everything made perfect sense.
These moments are filled with abundant joy and appreciation, accompanied
with an incredible feeling of lightness, and often goose bumps
or even tears. But the best part is that these moments are becoming
more and more prevalent in my life, as I learn to become more
present.
I
genuinely believe that being present is one of the most important
elements of a satisfying and fulfilling life. And I wish you the
best on your own journey!
Take
your first step toward becoming more present in your life! Sign-up
now for an
Ultimate Living Jump-Start
to close the gap between where you are now and where you want
to be!
Bill Stimpson can be reached through his website
at www.lifeshinecoaching.com.
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