In The Moment

Many of us these days are busier than ever. Technology has made our lives easier in so many ways yet has filled it with many more things complicating it if we allow it to. It is so easy to be ‘connected’ from the moment we wake till the moment we go to sleep. However, many of us feel more disconnected than ever from those around us. The constant barrage of information has made us develop attention deficit disorder. We find it hard to hold our focus for more than a few minutes at a time.

Focus Creates Flow

The moments when we forget about what we need to do or what others are doing, and instead become present in the moment and focused on the task at hand, we experience ‘flow’. Flow is that feeling when we lose track of time and when we are completely present. Some people call these moments of flow ‘happiness’.

There Is Only Now

Now is the only time that exists. Everything else is a figment of our imagination. And our imagination can be very vivid and cause us a lot of distress. When we are not present to this very moment our mind may wander into the past or worry about the future. This can cut us off from our flow of happiness.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a great way to connect to the flow.  It is switching off our thoughts and just focusing on the task at hand, whether it be making dinner, washing the dishes or going for a walk. By disconnecting from our mind we connect to what is right now. Practice mindfulness by emptying your mind and connecting to your body and the world around you.

5 Ways To Create Mindfulness Now

1. Switch Off & Tune In – switching off your mobile phone and resisting the urge to check your social media accounts takes the focus off what others are doing and back on what you are doing right here right now.
2. Take A Deep Breath – take a deep breath right now. Inhale deeply. Hold it for a few moments and exhale. This is a good technique to centre yourself back into your body.
3. Out Of Mind Experience – there are many ways to ‘switch off’ from thoughts. Exercises like yoga, swimming and walking are great.
4. Sensuality – by re-connecting with our body we can experience the present moment. We are sensual beings yet when we are too much in our heads we lose touch with our senses. Stop what you are doing right now. Listen to the sounds in your environment – the birds chirping, people chatting. Do you feel hot or cold? How does the chair feel under you?
5. Gratitude – at the end of each day spend a few moments to think about what you were grateful for in your day. What you may discover is that when you focus on today you begin to notice the little things in each day. The flowers that are in bloom that you hadn’t noticed before that you stop and go and inhale their sweet fragrance, or the way that the barista smiles at you when you pick up your morning coffee.

By connecting to this very moment you will begin to notice that you start to feel markedly more connected to the world around you and more in flow with it. Not worrying about the future, not dwelling on the past, only blissfully engaged in the present moment.