Back to NOW
It’s been 3 years since I last wrote in my Blog. It is no coincidence that I have a beautiful nearly 3 year old daughter. The funny thing is when it comes to the present moment, it is always here. Time is a construct that, whilst useful, can also get in the way of what is here and now. We are so lost in what will happen next that we forget to experience the present moment! How often have you found yourself rushing an activity to get onto the next task, only to find that the next activity is rushed as well?! We are all in a perpetual hurry!
“Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”
Small moments of mindfulness
I have found as a busy mum that small moments of mindfulness throughout my day can make a difference. Much as I would like to spend long periods of time meditating or doing yoga I simply cannot make it work. The beauty is the present moment is always here. RIGHT NOW as you are reading this you are here. Your attention may wander but if you bring it back to THIS moment what do you notice? For me I’m noticing the feel of the keys on my laptop and the sensation of sitting on my kitchen chair. The air in the room is cool and I can hear the buzz of the fridge (needs replacing) in the background. Perhaps for you it is similar? The experience of looking at the screen - does the light reflect off it? The feeling of your body being supported as you sit or maybe your feet on the floor as you stand? You will feel the air against your skin.
The present moment isn’t always exciting or beautiful. BUT there is an infinite ocean of peace within it. Often we are so fixated on what we have to do next that we miss the essence of life. Even as I write my mind is coming up with thoughts about where I might go on the dog walk after I have written this. Ultimately this is wrapped up in a very human sense of the present moment not being good enough. That somehow I will be “happier” when I get to the next one. The dog meanwhile has just come up to me and started nudging my arm. I am pretty sure her attention is also on this “future dog walk” too! The reality is that we are not there yet. As I feel her fur I can experience the warmth and softness of it. I can observe my urge to hurry but in the end the bit that we call life is always NOW. By being here I can enjoy the process of writing this blog and give it my full attention. That way when I am eventually walking with the dog I will be fully there too.
If you did get a few moments of your day to read this I wonder whether you could invite yourself to be fully present for a few moments longer. Whatever you are doing next (even if it’s washing the dishes) perhaps you could give it 30 seconds of your FULL attention? It’s remarkable how rich a few moments of being fully alert can be :)
“When you are washing the dishes, washing the dishes must be the most important thing in your life. Just as when you are drinking tea, drinking tea must be the most important thing in your life. Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole world revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.”