You’ve likely heard the words “be here now” a gazillion times, or read a few books on being in the present moment. Certainly Eckhart Tolle brought the power of the present moment into the mainstream with his best-selling book, The Power of Now.
Yet, fully living in the present moment can be challenging. Fundamentally speaking it’s a relatively simple concept. However, experiencing it as a permanent way of being is quite a journey!
When you consider that the benefits of present moment living include reduced stress, increased joy, ease, peace and even bliss, it makes sense to be conscious of living it! So, here are two ways to practice being in the present moment… even when someone takes “your” parking spot, your computer is misbehaving, family is driving you nuts and the kitchen is a mess…
First, it’s essential to gain some perspective of what’s really happening. The way to do this is to remember that the Universe is always conspiring for your highest good to help your soul evolve at this point on your spiritual journey. Everything that occurs is here to serve your evolution, not to destroy you. I realize it can be difficult to jump to this perspective, but I promise that if you do this the next time you’re triggered you’ll see a great opportunity for your own growth and healing. You’ll also find a lot more peace in the process.
Another thing I recommend is to take a few deep breaths and increase your sensory awareness of what’s going on around you. When you pause briefly to actually see what you’re looking at, hear what you’re listening to, taste what you’re eating, feel what you’re touching, and smell the scents in the air, you can quickly drop into your body, and into the present moment.
I’ll share an example of how this happened to me just yesterday. I was running late to an appointment at the Hershey Spa because I had to stop by my Love Wraps® manufacturer first and it took longer than I thought. At first, I was stressed, driving a little faster than I should have and worried I’d miss my appointment which I thought was at 10:00.
I called the spa let them know I might be late, and found out the appointment wasn’t until 10:45. Yay! Anyway, I became aware that even though I wouldn’t be late, my body was still running on adrenaline and I still felt rushed and worried – totally not in the present moment.
So, I took a few deep breaths, and began to look around at the scenery. Within a couple of minutes I was literally giggling like crazy out loud because of the beauty I was seeing all around me.
Driving through Amish farm country is certainly a treat to the eyes – when they are actually SEEING what’s there. So, in that blissed out present moment experiencing the giggles, I had the thought that it would simply be awesome to see an Amish horse and buggy to top it all off. Then, 30 seconds down the road, a horse and buggy were trotting past me on the opposite side of the road… which of course caused another roaring round of giggles!
This is the joy of being in the present moment… spontaneous laughter and spectacular beauty. It’s actually there for you in every moment… even if you simply take the step to be grateful that you have legs to walk to the store when someone takes “your” front row parking spot, or quickly discover a plan B when plan A goes south, or as in my case open your eyes to see what’s around you when you’re on the road.
Present moment awareness is critical now more than ever during this time that our planet, the cosmos and all of humanity is experiencing profound shifts in consciousness. You can count on being “challenged” as we transform to higher states of awareness… and you can count on being present in the moment to help you easily and gracefully navigate those challenges and return to a state of peace.
Everything truly is conspiring for the highest good of all in every moment, and taking a few breaths to remember this truth can go a long way in helping you be here now.
All is well right here, right now. So be it. So it is.
Namaste.
