“Being in the present, being here and now”… Those were magical words that used to have the power of bringing a big wave of frustration in me. I remember reading a book by Eckhart Tolle “The Power of Now” and thinking: “I cannot get what he is talking about, I must be a total idiot…”
By working with Harmony Integration processes I have had direct experiences of “being in the moment” and finally got it. It’s much simpler than I thought and there is not much mysticism about it. In fact it could be practiced all the time; during the conversation with someone, walking down the street, eating your breakfast with a partner.
If you ever talked to someone and just waited for them to finish their sentence in order for you to be able to jump in and proceed with your thoughts; you were NOT in the moment. You were in the future already, getting ready for your next move. You are in the moment when you are curious about the very thing your conversation partner is trying to convey. You are present, when you appreciate the fact that they are here talking to you and sharing their thoughts; without strategizing how to change their views or correct the way they talk. You are in the moment when you start fresh every conversation; when you don’t think about the other time you talked and got into the argument; when you do not “see it coming again”. You are “here and now” when you listen as if you see a person for the first time, without the previous experience, without knowing what will come next.
Here is a simple exercise: sit in the chair, close your eyes and take a big breath. Feel yourself sitting in the chair, feel the warmth of your body touching a cushion, listen to the sounds around you. Now open your eyes and look around your room like you are seeing it for the first time. Notice the furniture, the colour of your walls without thinking that you will have to re-paint them soon. The second you think about re-painting, you are not “here and now “, you are in the future. The second you think “why did I actually pick this colour the last time?”, you are in the past. It is simple to write, very difficult to do.
We have learned to engage our brains in constant strategizing, judging, planning the next move, etc. Those are very useful activities. They keep us away from danger; move us forward in our life. They also make us miserable when we spend most of the waken time living in our heads rather that in present reality.
Can you imagine how rich your life would be if you could see and hear every moment of your day: the birds flying near you window, you partner telling you about their day, the rain falling on your roof… It is possible.
“It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up”
Eckhart Tolle
By Eva Sadowski
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