Take A Moment

Mindfulness is to be fully in the present moment without interference from the past or the future. The present is where reality resides, where we can be fully alive, make changes, and to work on problems that arise in the here and now.

The past is gone and what’s done is done – we cannot change the past. As much as we would like to undo a problem or take back something we said, it is forever a part of the past that we cannot revisit. The future is not here yet, but some people try to project (usually worries and fears) into a time that is yet to occur as if they can predict the future by saying, “Yeah, but what if…? 

In order to practice Mindfulness, we have to train ourselves to be aware of where our thinking and emotions reside.

If they are in the past, we know that nothing can bring us to that exact time and place again. If we are too far in the future, we are living in a speculative world where we are only guessing as to what the outcome will be. Only in the present can we fix what’s broken, have real meaningful relationships that can be maintained, work on ourselves, and engage fully in life.

Every day I try to remember that I have left the past, haven’t arrived in the future yet, and can only have full control of my life right here in the present.  

To begin a Mindfulness practice, use this meditation to still the mind and connect to present-moment awareness:

Find a quiet place to sit.
Close your eyes.
Feel yourself where you are right now.
Note what you are sensing: any sounds, thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations.
Invite yourself to be present in your meditation.
Tell yourself it’s okay to let everything and everyone go.
Put your focus and awareness onto your breath.
Take a few deep breaths in and out.
If your mind begins to wander at any time, bring your focus and awareness back to your breath, which will always bring you back to the present moment.
Say silently, “I am in this moment of now.”
Say silently, “Now is all there is.”
Say silently, “I accept this moment that I’m in.”
You can repeat this to yourself as many times as you wish.
When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes.
Be aware that you’re still in the moment of “now,” and that there’s no need to rush out of it.
Take your time transitioning out of your meditation.