as your own unguarded thoughts."
The Buddha
Perhaps one of the many reasons I adore music lies in its ability to bring me completely into the present moment. Think about what happens to you when you hear one of your favorite songs. I might sing along if I’m in the car but at home I can’t resist the urge to get up and dance (especially if it’s a Black Eyed Peas song), no matter if I’m in my pajamas at 6 a.m. or outside in the snow with the dogs listening on my iPod. Dance I must....and dance I do.
When I allow the music to move me, everything else falls away. Problems stop gnawing at me. Thoughts cease to pester as I give in to what’s happening in the immediate moment. I don’t worry about how I look or whether I’m “good” at this or that dance move. With no censorship, I allow myself to simply "be."
Sometimes I’m able to let go like this in my Bikram yoga class as well. There is no past and no future: suddenly, as I am attempting to pull one leg up over my head while balancing on the other, I am in The Zone. My gaze is steady in the mirror. My breath is moving in and out through my nose. The room can be full of hot, sweaty people, yet I remain composed and completely absorbed in expressing the beauty of this particular posture to the fullest of my ability. And then it’s over. That posture, good....bad....or lovely, is now in the past.
I suppose, as a human being, my most important practice lately is attempting to Be Here Now. It’s so easy not to truly be present. My mind is often overactive, attempting to fill my consciousness with a million thoughts....past hurts, future “to do” lists, reruns of this or that event. I am learning to notice these thoughts and let them go. By doing this, I open up the present and become witness to what is occurring right here, right now.
"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."
Lao Tzu
The more I am able to Be Here Now, the better I feel. There is a sense of calm....clarity....deep peace. Often, I pull myself back to the Now by asking a simple question when a thought starts to gain a foothold: is it happening NOW? Let’s say I’m hung up on some past hurt or injury a person has caused me. Asking myself, “Is it happening NOW?” reminds me that it’s inconsequential. There’s nothing I can DO about it. It’s in the past, and if I spend my present moment rehashing it or emoting over it, then I lose the only thing that is truly “mine”...this moment, right here and right now.
This is my understanding of Enlightenment. I welcome activities that support and encourage a focus on the immediate. Being in nature. Engaging in yoga. Dancing. Writing. Photography. Art or craft of any sort. Cooking. These are all activities that bring me face to face with The Now. Certainly, my work with puppies and dogs also empowers me to Be Here Now. Dogs instinctively live in the Now. They don’t dwell. They don’t hold grudges. They just deal with what’s going on around them and, in my experience, try to have fun with it. They are good teachers for me.
Today, I am asking myself, "What can I do with THIS moment?" Action is immediate....one moment at a time.
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