They've Forgotten the Present Moment

I have the greatest respect for school teachers. Especially, after the past two years and particularly after getting a taste of home-schooling.

But, maybe I had overlooked them a bit recently.

Until I heard this...

Josie, my wife, had a conversation a couple of weeks ago with a teacher.

What the teacher said, stopped me in my tracks.

The teacher said that the children in her class had forgotten the present moment. They had forgotten how to speak and write in the present tense. They were fine with the past and the future, but had forgotten the present. The restrictions, the fear, the uncertainty, the constant pressure of bad news, had forced the present out of their lives.

Are we suffering from this too?

Maybe we can recall life before the restrictions? And how it used to be? Walking in anywhere we wanted, whenever we wanted, with whomever we wanted.

Maybe we are wishing that the future will be better? That things out there in the future will improve, will be back to "normal" sooner rather than later?

Maybe that doesn't leave much time to be open to what is happening right now? To embrace this sacred moment that we are living now?

So, I have tried to really open myself up more to this moment. I have tried to not let my mind run off into the future all the time. Or, think back over things repeatedly.

Here's what I have been practising:

Slowing down: trying to let go of the inclination to rush between tasks or places. Instead, I am trying to slow down my movement just enough that I am actually aware of how my body is feeling. This infinitesimal slowing down has produced great results. When I do it, I feel more in my body. I feel more in the moment. I naturally appreciate more what is happening around me and what I am experiencing.

Breathing: in moments of pressure, stress or resistance I am trying to bring my mind back to my breath. I find my breath. I focus on it. I slow it down. I try to enjoy it and it brings me back to what is happening now.

Letting go: by finding our breath and slowing it down, we begin to feel calm again. When we feel calm, we can then let go of whatever thought or emotion is not helping us in that moment. Instead of my mind racing off into the future (and creating some situation that hasn't happened yet), I can simply let those thoughts float away.

Just like that, I am back experiencing what is happening right in front of me.

All of this is a practise: something I am trying to get better at. I don't always get there. But, I am trying my best and it brings me back to those small children who have forgotten how to live in the present.

We don't have to teach them anything.

We just have to relish the present moment and they will (as ever) learn from watching and mimicking us.

So, if we can, let's celebrate and enjoy this sacred moment that we have right now.