We are only alive in the present moment. Not the past (it’s over), and not the future (still waiting for it to happen).
However, for the most part of our lives, our minds are not in the present moment. It’s usually somewhere else.
We might be worrying about something happening in the future, or ruminating about something that has happened in the past.
Unfortunately, not being ‘ here’, means that you miss out on little moments… You’re little one smiling at you, you’re partner lovingly touching your shoulder, or the beauty of sitting outside under a tree.
These little moments might seem insignificant, but when you add them up over a year, a decade, a lifetime, they often turn out to be the most beautiful, meaningful moments of your life.
Mindfulness is how we reclaim the present moment, and all those little moments that can potentially be lost if we live on autopilot.
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, modern mindfulness pioneer, being mindful means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.
It’s about bringing our awareness to the now, and accepting this moment just as it is, without wanting to change anything about it at all.
“Am I in the shower?”
To help you cultivate mindfulness, Kabat-Zinn suggests that whenever you get into the shower, ask yourself, “Am I in the shower?”
This sounds like a silly question, but you will be surprised to find how often you’re not really there, because mentally, you’re already in that meeting, at kindy drop off, or reliving that argument that you had with your partner last night.
The moment you check in with yourself by asking “Am I here (in the shower)?” it will bring you back to the present moment and you will be right there.
Aim for brief moments of mindfulness throughout the day. It helps you to develop the ability to come back to who you really are and be present for all those beautiful, precious moments that you are gifted every single day.
