Living in the Moment

Not allowing the past to ruffle us or the future to distract us. We sit and appreciate each passing moment. Still, quiet, present in the world. So finding that time to pause, to close the eyes, is a rare and beautiful thing. We might think that it's not so important. It doesn't matter too much whether, you know, we miss the odd days or weeks here and there. But the less we sit the more likely the mind is to continue in its old patterns, to reach to the past and perhaps get caught up in that storyline. Or to reach out to the future and perhaps start to conceptualize or worry or doubt kind of how things might be in a future that it has not yet happened. And in perpetuating those habits we miss out on the stillness, the quiet of now. So as much as possible, just embracing those opportunities, finding that time, it's not separate from life. It's just pausing for a moment to close the eyes, to let go of thinking and to be present in the world. So starting with the eyes open, a nice soft focus, just taking a big, deep breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out, just gently closing the eyes. Just feeling the weight of the body. Gravity just pressing down. Feeling the weight of the arms, the hands. And just settling in to the space around you. Noticing the different sounds. Not only those very close by, but also a little further away. And then bringing the attention back to the body, just getting a sense for how the body feels right now. What's comfortable, what's uncomfortable. Not changing anything but just noticing how the body feels. And as you notice those sensations in the body you might also notice the breath. Just starting to follow that movement of breath, that rising and falling sensation. So allowing thoughts to come and go. But if at any stage you realize the mind's wandered, just gently coming back to that movement of breath. And now just letting go of that focus on the breath. Just coming back to the feeling of weight in the body, that feeling of contact. Starting to notice the different sounds, the smells around you. And when you're ready, just gently opening the eyes again....