Thursday, May 19, 2016

Being Present, Living in the moment



In my last post, I talked about my gratitude practice and how it helps me to be present.
Both of the practices (Being present and gratitude) have substantially changed my perspective in life. I feel I am living a calmer, more centered existence now, free from constant worry, fear and stress.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness can reduce stress, boost your immune system, lower blood pressure increase self esteem and bolster happiness.
With all of that positive press, I figured it is probably something I should give a try.
First off, it is somewhat astonishing to me, all of the noise.... my own head is so busy all of the time. Frequently, it is making to do lists, making judgments, it is so busy.. As a matter of fact... my busy, bossy mind carries the sole responsibility for my nasty bout with insomnia.
No matter how tired I was, turning off the lights in the evening subsequently somehow, it was like turning on my incessant chatter.
Oh, I forgot to do something, oh yeah, I need to do something tomorrow, did I take the dog out before I went to bed? Did I lock the front door? How am I going to solve that computer programming issue tomorrow? I need to get a haircut. I forgot to call the insurance company.....
As you can see, it really is nothing vital to my existence , but if the lights are off and I am in the bed, queue the chatter, we are going for a ride. Does any of this sound familiar?
Being present means not thinking about the past, not worrying about the future, not thinking about what you are going to say next in a conversation, it is all about right here, right now.
Life moves so fast, being present allows me to notice the subtleties of life and appreciate them, which strengthens my gratitude practice. Practicing gratitude in turn, strengthens my ability to stay present.
Presence enables me to notice all of the things I can and should be grateful for, the beauty around me, the wind on my face, the sun on my skin, the scent of flowers, the smiles on my children’s faces. It is so much easier to be grateful, when I take the time to think about it.
When I am present, there are no judgements, there are no worries, I can see how it impacts my health, because I am totally aware of everything in my life at this moment. It is so much easier to be happy when I am not worrying about something that needs to be done next week or fretting over something I did in the past.
Once I started listening to all of my self chatter, I realized how much time I waste on things I have no control over. What if….. Deal with what if, when it happens, but, if you are stuck there, in the future what if, you are missing out on what is happening right this very moment and when the moment is gone, you cannot get it back. Bring your focus back to the present.
One way I found that helps bring my focus to the present, is engaging my senses. What do I see, what can I hear, what can I taste, what can I feel?
Remember yesterday, when I talked about being grateful for everyone who helped to get a meal in front of me? Well, when I bring myself in the moment, I can taste how good the food is and I can actually think about all the people that contributed to my sustenance. I can feel my body being nourished. It actually has helped me drop a few pounds, because I am no longer eating mindlessly, while working or watching TV.
Additionally, since we know that excess cortisol (which is caused by stress) contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure and a host of other medical problems. With all that said, being present prevents us from worry and stress, so…. Think of all the second order effects of getting present…
Try it for a few days, try to use your senses to bring yourself back to the present moment, what do you taste, feel, hear, see? This simple act is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Give it a try for a few days, I would love to hear how it changes your life.

Hugs!!
Angi













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