Learning To Live In The Present Moment

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Most of you know that I've been meditating for more than 52 years,

And my closest friend and I have been friends for 51 years.

Recently I've been helping her with her meditation practice,

And she's doing very well.

But recently she asked me,

What can I do to help myself be more in the present moment?

And that's a really good question.

Living in the present moment is not just a cliche term or a catchy phrase.

On the contrary,

It is a recognized lifestyle that healthcare professionals often recommend to those who are struggling with anxiety in their day-to-day life.

Being in the present moment means not worrying about possible moments in the future or pondering moments that occurred in the past,

But keeping yourself here,

Right now,

In the present moment.

Living in the present moment is a type of lifestyle that is backed by solid science.

It's been found that people who live in the present moment have much less anxiety,

Can deal better with pain,

And have fewer problems sleeping.

That leads to a healthier lifestyle with far fewer problems,

Less anxiety,

Less fear,

Less anger,

And a more balanced life.

Balance is key to living in the present moment,

And you have to make the commitment to living in the present moment.

You have to decide to make the most out of each and every day.

My daughters will often say to me,

I hope you have a good day,

And my reply is always the same.

Every day is a good day,

As long as you're there to appreciate it.

So making a commitment to being in the present moment is the first step.

Another part of being in the present moment includes being more in touch with your own body,

Doing the proverbial body scan to see just how you are.

Gradually focus on each part of your body and be attentive to what it's telling you.

Are you having pain?

Any aches?

Are you hungry?

Is part of you fatigued?

And once you've gone over your body and found what it has to tell you,

You need to take care of what you've found.

By being more aware of your body and taking care of it,

Not only will you tend to be healthier,

But you'll stay more in the present moment.

For many,

Deciding to be more in the present moment means adopting new habits that will help you accomplish your goal.

It's often helpful to use technology to provide gentle reminders.

You can use an app to remind you throughout the day or even schedule things on your calendar.

Another big part of being more in the present moment is trying to stay positive and in the present.

Remember,

Forever is now.

Try to always snap your thoughts back to what's going on right now.

The past is gone and the future doesn't exist anywhere except in your mind.

The only moment that matters is this one.

Try to be positive and upbeat in your thoughts.

If negative things start to intrude,

Just push back.

Try to live in the moment you're in.

Notice the flowers and smell them.

Look at the trees and the birds all around you.

Notice the people and the weather and the insects and all aspects of life all around you.

Look at the world.

Listen to all of its sounds.

Feel the wind in your hair and on your skin and find joy in each moment you're alive.

Try to enjoy each moment and live in it.

Try to be present in your life and don't just float through.

You'll find that as you make being present more of a priority,

It will gradually become easier to do.

Another key to living in the present moment is learning to appreciate the moment you're in.

In other lessons,

I've talked about taking advantage of all the pauses in your day and using them to get in touch with your breath.

By the same token,

You can learn to live so no moment is wasted.

Maybe a brief example will be helpful.

Say you have to meet someone at the mall and drive them home.

Maybe it's a child or a friend from work.

You get there early so you're going to have about 15 minutes to wait.

Now if you just sit there,

Mindlessly listening to the car radio,

It might be wasted time.

But if you're trying to live in the present moment,

You can use that time to get in touch with your breath,

To observe the people coming and going from the mall.

You can note the clouds in the sky and the birds flying overhead and so much more.

You can convert what would have been 15 wasted minutes of just waiting into something truly useful by spending that time in the present moment.

Close your eyes now.

Let's begin to settle into this moment.

Just start to relax.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting or laying down or standing.

Take a deep breath,

Then gently exhale.

Continue to breathe naturally and don't force anything.

Breathing in and breathing out.

Let's relax any tension in our face.

Relax your neck.

I always have problems with my neck.

As you breathe,

Feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.

Feel yourself sinking into the surface that you're on.

Relax your arms.

Clench your hands.

Feeling heavy,

Relax any tightness in your chest or belly.

Let your legs and feet relax and don't clench your hands.

Just breathe.

Breathe.

Your breath is a river of calm,

A stream of tranquility and peacefulness.

It doesn't matter what's going on in the world right now.

It only matters what you do in this moment.

You control your breath and by doing that,

You control the moment.

Breathing in and breathing out.

One breath at a time.

Listen to the flow of your breath as it moves in,

As it moves out.

Feel the air coming into your body and going back out.

Smell the air as you breathe it in and detect what is ever in the air.

Listen to the world all around you in this moment.

Consider the barking dog,

The car horn,

The laughter of children,

The guy hammering a board down the street.

Meditation and mindfulness isn't about stopping your thoughts.

It's about being aware of the moment you're in right now.

Just continue to breathe slowly in and slowly out.

Breathing in the present moment is something you can do.

You just have to put your mind to it.

Like anything else worthwhile,

Like learning to play the guitar,

It takes practice and time.

It can start by simply making up your mind to do it.

Maybe have an app remind you throughout the day.

Take advantage of all the pauses in your day and get in touch with your breath and stay in the present moment.

Our minds are so powerful and we can tap into that by getting in touch with our breath,

By staying in the present moment.

Like any journey,

It starts with that first step and then the next and then the next.

Learning to live more in the present moment is something you can do if you just decide to do it.

And by doing that,

You can live your life and be more present in it.

You can learn to spend more of your time in this moment and your life will be so much better.

The Buddha said,

Do not dwell in the past,

Do not dream of the future,

Concentrate the mind on the present moment.

So as we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Take one deep breath and let it out through your mouth,

Letting it out a sigh.

You're ready to resume your day,

Feeling a greater sense of peace and calm.

The present moment is here for you to grasp.

The path may be difficult at first,

But gradually it'll get easier.

The Buddha also said,

There is no path to happiness.

Happiness is the path.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming practice.

Till next time.