If we can’t wash the dishes, the chances are that we won’t be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked into the future and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.
When I taught a Mindfulness Based Cognitive therapy program at New York Presbyterian Hospital, I gave group members a list with practical suggestions for being in the present moment. Try some of the following and stay with the practices you like:
1) Use everyday cues in your environment as reminders to wake up and be present; a ringing phone, sitting at your computer, cooking dinner, brushing your teeth, picking up your children from school, etc.
2) Take five to thirty minutes in the morning to be quiet and meditate.
3) Eat one meal, one or two times a week, in silence. Use this time to really pay attention to your food and to the process of eating.
4) Take some time at the end of every day, before you fall asleep, to be present with your body. Become aware of your breathing, of the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen. Consciously acknowledge and be grateful for the abundance that exists in your life.
5) Take three minute breathing breaks during your day, especially if you find yourself caught up in worries or other agitated states of mind. Gently stretch your body and be aware of your breath. Have the intention that all stress be relieved now and for the rest of your day.
Wherever you go, you bring yourself with you, so befriend yourself and your experience. Be present in your life as much as possible with awareness, contentment, and ease of being. As much as possible, disengage yourself from useless imaginings and worries. As Mark Twain said, “I’ve lived a long life and seen a lot of hard times, most of which never happened.”
You have nothing to lose and much to gain by continuing to question and practice. To deepen your practice and commitment to present moment awareness, go on a meditation or yoga retreat, even if it’s just for a day or two. A great facility with wonderful teachers is The Omega Institute, located in Rhinebeck, NewYork.
