The Basics - Here and Now: January 26 - February 1

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Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. The last two weeks, I reflected on paying attention on purpose. This week, I'll focus on "in the present moment" or "here and now."

I'm a planner/worrier by nature and by profession.  As an IT consultant, my job is to anticipate problems and offer solutions. This serves me well most of the time but it gets in the way of mindfulness. I've unknowingly trained myself to distrust the current situation. I naively believe there is a happier, better tomorrow if only I can figure out how to get there. This tendency to focus on the future comes with a price. Recently during meditation, I found myself asking, "If I can't find peace today, here and now, then how will I recognize it if it shows up tomorrow?" If I'm always looking down the road, I'll miss the roses already at my feet.

Practice

Find a place to sit in the middle of your life. Sense where the body is at this moment. Feel the feet on the floor. Pay attention to the breath as the chest rises and falls. The body is already here. The breath exists now. Thought, however, can get stuck in the past or flit to the future. In this meditation, the intention is to bring the mind and the body into the same place at the same time. Follow the breath. Abide in the body. Listen with the heart. Stay in the present moment.

Use the breath as an anchor. When thoughts pull us into stories of the past or worries of the future, remember the breath remains in the here and now. Come back to the breath over and over again. Rest in the breath. Resist the urge to flee. All sorts of things might surface in the stillness. Fear. Anger. Boredom. Numbness. Joy. Hope. Grief. Peace. The mind likes to avoid suffering at all costs. Mindfulness invites us to sit with these unbidden guests. What gifts might they impart if we remain just a little longer? Follow the breath. Abide in the body. Listen with the heart. Stay in the present moment.

The mind whispers this is too hard. Assure the mind it will be okay. Give yourself permission to endure the discomfort, the loneliness, the unknown. Trust. What if the future we want is already here. What if now holds everything we really need. Follow the breath. Abide in the body. Listen with the heart. Stay in the present moment.

The mind resists. It turns to its familiar defenses. It searches the horizon for any way out. In this moment, dare to look down. Discover the here and now, for it is only in the present moment that we love and heal and forgive. What roses are blooming at your feet? Open your inner eyes. Follow the breath. Abide in the body. Listen with the heart. Stay in the present moment.