A couple of months ago I spent a week in the western peninsula of Costa Rica learning how to live more in the moment. Even though I’ve been practicing mindfulness for a while, it was still a humbling and challenging experience. In the words of Joh Kabat-Zinn, a leading practitioner of mindfulness, “mindfulness is a love affair with life, with reality and imagination, with the beauty of your own being, with your heart and body and mind, and with the world.”
When we are mindful, we are entering life as it is. We are experiencing life to the fullest. We are being in touch with what arises moment to moment with an open heart and an alert mind — without judgment and with kindness.
But in this fast paced age of technology and constant motion, where can we find the time? How can we live more in the moment? The paradox is that there is nothing but the present moment. The challenge is to be awake and aware of each moment without labeling the moment as either good or bad. When you cultivate a non-judgmental awareness of the present you will find yourself with less stress, less pain and less illness. You will be more curious and more at ease with life as it is unfolding.
The truth is that most of us are rarely in the present moment. We focus on past experiences and emotions, or on our plans for tomorrow. We are a bundle of habits. We are unaware of what we are doing. We are on autopilot. Mindfulness teaches us a way of being rather than doing. It allows us to step back and see things more clearly. It frees us from the suffering of our automatic thoughts and assumptions. We can experience the joy of being fully present, learn from the challenges in our lives, and be open to compassion for ourselves and others.
Living in the moment encompasses a profound paradox. You cannot pursue it for its benefits. You have to trust that the rewards will come. Letting go is the only way to hold on the moment.
There are many paths to mindful living. One that I find helpful is the Fourfold Way where Angeles Arrien draws upon archetypes and ancient cultural wisdoms.
Show up and be present
Pay attention to what has heart and meaning
Tell your truth without blame and judgment
Be open, not attached, to the outcome
When you practice mindful living in all you do, you will find yourself being present, grounded and open to life’s mysteries. You are awake and aware.
“Learn to be still in the midst of activity.” Indirha Gandhi
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