Yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today’s a gift – that’s why they call it the present. You may have heard that one before and it might seem a bit of a cliche but it’s worth looking into what that really means in practice.
It’s all about freeing ourselves from the past, not worrying about the future and living in the moment. How does that work, though? How do you live in the moment? For me, it’s about accepting reality – being at peace with whatever is happening right now this instant, and not trying to deny it. You may not like what’s happening right now, and by all means you can take action to respond to the reality you find yourself in, but respond from a place of stillness, calm and presence.
Presence is the gift of the present. Presence is that feeling of being totally centred, aligned, relaxed and in flow with whatever is arising. Presence is a state of being, not doing. Presence is about being in the heart, not the head.
You can always tell when someone is not present because they’ll be yawning, scratching themselves, looking out the window or over your shoulder while talking to you. They won’t be present with you because they’ll be busy telling themselves a story about you, about themselves, formulating their next sentence or argument before you’ve finished speaking.
But being truly present with another person is a wonderful thing. They will know they are in the presence of authenticity.
There are many ways of bringing yourself into the present moment – mindfulness practice being perhaps the best known. The bottom line is, you can’t be present if you’re stuck in your head – in that clogged-up world of thoughts and stories. Try dropping your awareness down into your heart, imagine breathing in and out of your chest, and really start noticing the air as it enters and leaves your nostrils. Then become aware of different parts of your body – your hands, legs, feet. If thoughts arise, allow them to come and go without buying into them.
and grumpy while you look serene. And if you really are present, your presence will touch others and maybe they will have a better day as a result.
It’s much easier to be present when you’re in nature, or in a still and beautiful landscape. But why not try it next time you’re on a packed train? While you’re being in the now and accepting reality, you can smile to yourself as all around you people start getting annoyed.
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