What helps you to be more fully present?
Photo by Liz Wuerffel
You've all had those experiences when time disappears and you lose yourself in the moment. There is no past and no future and all self-consciousness is gone. You are simply and profoundly present with what is in the moment.
Rare events such as witnessing the birth of a child or getting a view of the world from a mountaintop can elicit that place in us that is beyond our ordinary perceptions. But we don’t have to wait for extraordinary circumstances to experience this spacious part of ourselves. We can cultivate this kind of profound presence in our day-to-day life in the same way any habit or way of being gets created in us, through the simple act of repetition.
What is it that helps you get to this place? Is it being in nature, creating art, or attending religious services? Is it meditating, dancing, or singing? Or is it not as specific as that? Perhaps it’s just slowing down and looking a bit closer or listening a bit deeper. As Rumi says, "there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." Whatever it is for you, do it, and do it often.
