Oh, the present moment. Filled with so much opportunity and love. A space in time that is forever constant and always changing. Yet we don’t allow it to just be. It’s there 24/7 and we don’t utilize it, we take advantage of it.
Sometimes the moment brings up the past and it brings up the future. Rather than constantly dwelling on your past or future, learn from them when the time is necessary, but don't dwell on them. To be in the moment is to be fully engaged in whatever the task is in front of you.
Here are 6 tips on how to live in the moment:
1. Breathe
Our breath is the most present aspect of all. Anytime you feel your thoughts taking over, notice yourself getting caught up in the drama, or feel like the world is closing in on you, just close your eyes and breathe.
Whether you’re at work or at the market, take time to notice your breath. Stop and just breathe. Take 10 deep inhales and exhales and remind yourself of what is real, and what is present.
2. Get Organized
Being organized takes a lot more off our plates then we realize. When we are organized, whether it’s with our work life, home life, or social life, things flow more easily. Our mind is not stuck in one or the other because there is a balance when we are organized.
My work life requires me to be organized. I am a special education teacher by day, and a yoga teacher by night, both requiring a great amount of study, preparation, and time. When I am not organized with one, everything becomes too overwhelming.
Make several lists of all the different parts of your life that require time and organization (work, home, kids, bills, school, etc.). Get a planner, plug it into your calendar on your phone, leave Post It notes everywhere. Do whatever you need to organize the parts of your life that require it.
3. Practice Gratitude
Every morning when you wake up, write down several new things that you are grateful for, say a prayer, meditate, do yoga, or breathe, but do something in honor of all you are grateful for.
Practicing gratitude is a great way to enter the present moment. When we take notice of and realize all of the things we should be grateful for, the little bumps in our week are not as severe.
When we are grateful for having a job considering the large population that does not, sitting in traffic in the car we can afford because of that job isn’t too bad. When we can afford to pay our bills and buy groceries without having to think twice, standing in a long line at the market isn’t too horrible.
When we practice gratitude we allow ourselves to fully move into the present without fear or hesitation.
4. Look Up
In a society that has their eyes glued to their phones, look up once in a while. Feel the wind and warm sun on your skin, notice the leaves swaying, the shapes that clouds make. A couple times a day, just look up.
Life is happening all around you 24/7, even when we are obsessing over things we can’t control. It’s there, you just need to look for it once in a while.
5. Choose Love
When a moment in the day requires action from you, choose love.
When we choose love, it means we took the time to analyze what is going on rather than acting so quickly. It means we took time to weigh the options of what will be the right way to handle this. When we choose anything other than love, we are released from the present moment. We are no longer dancing in the magic of now.
To choose love means to choose this moment.
6. Play
Whether it’s for 5 minutes or an hour, find time to laugh and play! Laugh, jump, cartwheel, sit and read part of a book, watch the clouds roll by, but do something playful for your soul.
If there is anything I learned about working with kids, it’s that play is essential for all life. We need to play. We need to do something that our soul will enjoy.
Playing doesn’t need to be a physical activity, play is just a term for having some fun. It might be curling up on the couch to watch a show, going to yoga, having dinner with people you love, reading a book. Whatever your soul desires, allow it to have some playtime.
When we allow ourselves to let go and live, we allow ourselves to be completely free of what is no longer serving us. Living in the moment is loving life just for being alive. There is gratitude, a lightness, and magic to your existence.
So step outside and take in the morning sun on your face, observe your thoughts, get down past the surface of everything and go deep into the core of your existence. That’s where you’ll your find the answers to what you need to let go of and start living.
How do you live in the moment? Share your tips with us below!
