Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Staying Present this Holiday Season....

Staying Present: A Balanced, Harmonious Holiday Season


"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." ~ Buddha

I'd like to invite you all to join with me today by taking in a deep cleansing breath.  Please breathe in through your mouth, and instead of merely breathing into the upper part of your chest (a.k.a. shallow breathing), pull the air in through your nose and move it straight down into your belly, and then out.  And again ... And now ... what did you notice?

Perhaps you experienced a shift away from your thoughts as you moved into your body.  And when you moved into your body, you may have experienced a calmness, a sense of 'being in the moment.'

The moment is a place out of time, where you are being before your mind. In other words, you were present!  Being present is not an easy task, and staying present - living in the moment, the now - seems almost impossible, doesn't it? 

Your mind slips back into thinking about the past or the future.   And that's okay.  Accept that your mind will do that. And then, when you are ready, you can take in another deep cleansing breath, into your belly - and out through you nose.  And once again, gently move into the Now.  

Being present is an amazing tool. It is as close to a magic bullet, a miracle cure as you can get.   As the Buddha said,"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."

The experience of being in the present, being in the moment is actually more 'real' than thought.  Thoughts about something are merely thoughts, and they are missing a certain kind of vibrancy, an 'aliveness,' if you will.

When we are lost in past or future thoughts, we have shifted out of reality and away from our true nature, which is a calm and peaceful nature.  Our true nature is contentment.  When we are in that place, in the moment - we are connected to the 'source,' also known as 'essence.'  Some call it 'God' or 'God's Flow.'  I don't know what your experience of 'essence' is, but you do.

When you are in the moment, when you are in the 'Flow,' you are allowing our life to move naturally in the direction in which it is meant to go.  When involved in your ego's reality, which are your thoughts - you are going in a direction that is often at odds with the 'source.'

It takes faith to surrender to the moment.  It takes courage to let go of our intense need to know, our intense desire to manipulate the outcome. The truth is that we don't know what the next moment will bring much less the day.

To be in the moment, we have to be willing to just be without our thoughts or stories.  We have to be willing to respond to what is happening in the moment, coming from the flow of 'being,' without bringing our past and future thoughts into the mix.

What does Being in the Here and Now have to do with permanent weight removal?  It has everything to do with it, because Being in the Here and Now has the power to end emotional eating.  Emotional eating is based on 'your story.'   It is based on your web of thoughts.  Breathe deep and move into the moment, away from your emotional thoughts.

What does being in the moment have to do with holidays?  It has everything to do with holidays, because Being in the Here and Now has the power to end automatic responses to people and situations that are linked to your past.
Spread the word ... NOT the icing!
PHOTO (cc): Flickr / Giuliagas

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