Practicing present moment awareness

“Anyone who is still totally identified with the voice in their head — the stream of involuntary and incessant thinking — will inevitably fail to see what The Power of Now is all about.”Tolle, Eckhart.  The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

A set of interesting questions hit me at once, they still make me smile broadly
What happens if I stop thinking about the past or future? Will I be dead?
Will I have no voice anymore?
Will there be empty space instead of my present identity?”
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The answers were equally amusing to me “no you will be still alive, Its not that you require thinking as you require to breathe and to be alive” for most these could be “no brainers” for me they were eye openers. To begin this is one of the best way that has worked to staying anchored in the now

Now breath or respiration is a phenomenal tool for anchoring and getting back to base – even when the mind is making big leaps and bounds with making stories of the past or future. Initially belly breathing and observing the rise and fall worked, but a more refined technique is using the technique i learnt at vipassana it works even better. In the midst of an intense emotional moment or severe mind chatter, bringing your consciousness to take that one momentary breath and observing it hit the place around your nose where you feel sensations is enough to minimize the energy loss through mind chatter and bring me in the now. This also works in life situations where you have an instant urge to react .. This will prompt you to observe your thoughts

Observing thought was how it all began for me, it was an ah..ha moment when I could watch my thoughts all flying here and there in a big haste, that was a few years ago. Now for some reason the thoughts have decided to take it easy and not be so turbulent. So yes one sure fire way of staying grounded .. just observing the thoughts slows them down and you start to “be” And in being you observe the slightest of sensations on your body

Observing the sensations on the body and within the body is powerful, so powerful that it gives way to a deep stillness. Stillness that leads to insight. This observation of the sensations is more practical during meditation and when one is sitting down and has a little more time.

The movie After Earth provides another simple and working tool “take a knee” the act of taking a knee is to come back to the moment, it is like plugging the energy drain of the mind due to excessive thoughts – thoughts of fear, confusion etc. A quick way during everyday chores is to observe the sensations in one particular sensitive part of the body- for me its my left palm and fingers. As I am in the train, walking, or just watching the apparent world outside I direct my consciousness to my palm… and the mind calms down, it is quiet and surprisingly it also reduces all the external labeling it would other wise carry on with.

Shifting focus from what I am identified with at that moment to take a slow look at nature is like a soothing balm to cool down the mind activity and experience the presence. At work whenever possible, with due concern to my safety and others around me LOL,  I shift my focus to watch a plant or a tree nearby. Not advisable during activities which require complete concentration -driving being one of them 🙂

There are times when several of the above actions are done at the same time, like now- I completed the writing and looked at the plant & observed my breath.. hmnn almost here and now… all smiles

May all beings be happy and peaceful and live in the now