NOTHING happens outside the present moment. Now read that again.
Our entire life enfolds in the present moment yet so many of us disregard this amazing place, where we spend our lives and where everything happens. We are too busy wrapped up in thoughts and memories of the past – which cannot be changed no matter how many thoughts we throw at it. Or lost in dreams of the future – which will never arrive. No matter how many plans we make, if we cannot BE in the present, we miss our own life.
“The past is history, the future a mystery, the present a gift”
Yesterday I attended an online lecture by the author, Eckhart Tolle. He is the master of understated enlightenment. Part of his presentation introduced the concept of mini-meditations to step out of our constant stream of noisy thoughts and momentarily ground ourselves in the present. Here are a couple of ideas he shared on how to do this:
One way of stepping out of our busy heads for just 10 seconds is to take a ‘conscious breath’. Feel the air going into our nostrils and down into our lungs as we breathe in and feel it leave our body as we breathe out. The mind might tell you “ I have more important things to do than be aware of my breath” but that is not true. Ten seconds of awareness can calm us down and help us focus. We cannot stay in our thoughts while we concentrate on what it feels like to breathe in and out. It is a quick ‘re-boot’ of the consciousness.
Use an activity that you do habitually – such as brushing your teeth – to create a gap in thought. Let your senses notice the texture of the toothbrush, its feel and sound and the taste of the toothpaste. The vibration against your teeth and tongue.. Use your opposite hand to hold the brush – so if you are right-handed use your left hand to brush your teeth for 30 seconds. It will absolutely focus your mind and make you aware of what you are doing.
One of my favourite ways to let go of thoughts is to eat mindfully. The chips (fries) in the picture were eaten at the Jurassic Coast at the end of an unplanned day out. It was 4:30pm and they were the first food since breakfast. They were freshly fried, hot, crisp and salty. The day was bright. The sea and sky were blue and the seagulls swooped and called around the table hoping (in vain) for scraps. It was the simplest and finest feast in that moment. The sun above and breeze on my face and the taste of hot fried potato melting in my mouth was pure pleasure. No speaking. No thinking. No worrying. A moment of flavour and satisfaction.
When we are tense and anxious, our minds chatter more loudly than ever. This is when it is important to create little spaces in our consciousness to make room for peace and being alive. Every day I learn more about pure consciousness and ways to quieten intrusive thoughts. Life is here and now. Not then and there.
Contact me for tips on how to sleep soundly, eat simply and live peacefully in the present.