"Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." - Buddha
A few years back I was at a training session for the Mind Detox work that I do. This was the first time I had met any of the other participants or instructors. In the few minutes before the class started I was immediately struck by the presence, calmness and focus of exactly five people in the room. They seemed surprisingly at ease for the first day of anything; whereas most of the group was fidgeting or talking loudly, these five were serene. I assumed that they were all instructors or knew each other, which led them to be more at ease than the rest of us. I did speak to one of these “serene” people before the instructor came in and I was blown away by her energy and kindness and complete attention to our conversation, despite the array of distractions going on around us. I remember thinking that time slowed down when I was speaking with her. The instructor came in and he too exuded this feeling. I had never experienced anything quite like this and thought I was over- tired and tried to find explanations as to why, I and others were drawn to the “Fab Five!” They were not offering free food or coffee or tips on the instructor or tourist information for Vancouver. They were just present, like the rest of us, but as I soon found out, not like the rest of us at all.
It was during the introduction stage when I found out what was going on – these five people, instructor included, were all Ishaya monks and practiced Ascension Meditation. Mindfulness and living in the present moment were a way of life and trust me it showed. Over the next four days, that same focus and present moment awareness never shifted, although I must admit I was waiting for a crack to appear. Throughout the weekend we were encouraged to stay in the present and took a few minutes each day to ground ourselves to the here and now. There were no mantras, visualizations, postures; we simply brought our awareness back to the space and time we were occupying. By the end of the workshop, I felt calmer and more at ease. This experience has stayed with me and I now have a strong reference point for what spiritualists, shamans, yogis, alternative health practitioners and yes, Ishaya monks have always claimed, living in the moment has the power to transform your life. Science and medicine is confirming what my encounter showed me; your entire life, health, relationships and success, is positively influenced by returning to stillness and remaining here and now.
Your best life is dependent not on your ability to look back or plan ahead, but is instead dependent on your ability to live in the moment. Life is happening now. Most people do not even know they are not present and are following a stream of thoughts from backwards to forwards, circling around the here and now. You are not your thoughts and considering, eighty per cent of what most people are thinking about is negative, unhooking yourself from this endless merry-go-round, is by far the most important way to find peace and well-being, now and in the future. It is paradoxical that in order to gain the benefits from being in the moment you cannot pursue it. This only fortifies the spotlight on someday. Being in the moment or mindfulness is when you become the observer of your thoughts; active and receptive to the present with full attention on the experience you are having now. Oprah said; “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Perfecting the minute by minute experience means that you are creating the space and time you live in now, thus impacting future events in monumental ways. You no longer have to worry about your future, as it is in this breath that you are taking care of it, planning for it and maximizing it.
Although the “Fab Five” may seem like an extreme example as they had dedicated large portions of time and energy towards their meditation techniques and mastering their philosophies, what I learned from speaking with them is that it is not necessary to spend hours in silence, humming or chanting, although that is fine too. Instead it became clear to me that meditation is awareness of your authentic self, the one beyond the ramblings of your mind. Mindfulness is intentional; it is calling you back to yourself. What I was reminded of during that weekend is that we need to be using our minds, not allowing our minds to use us. Your mind is always busy but with meditation you can move beyond that. I now believe that being in the moment, mindfulness and meditation is the most profound way to change your life, in all areas.
"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment." - Henry David Thoreau
Today:
Get comfortable, not so comfortable that you will fall asleep! You do not have to sit or breathe in any specific way. Simply call yourself back to the moment by becoming aware of now. Trying to stop your thoughts is pointless, no need to visualize - just be in the space, aware of it all. Notice the authentic you, the one that is observing your thoughts. Who is that person? In my experience, they are calm and peaceful and present. Throughout the day start to notice when you are drifting away from the moment, carried by past or future events and call yourself back - your life is waiting.
I would love to hear about your experience and if you would like the opportunity to learn more about Mindfulness techniques. Please contact me at, onpurposelifecoaching@hotmail.com
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