Soul Kadee

The secret to happiness is really very simple. It’s learning to be in the present, in the now. All unhappiness and discontent is the result of living in the past or worrying about the future.

This moment, this second, is the only reality we have. The past is gone. The future doesn’t exist.

The importance of living in the moment is an ancient message, and one that’s been receiving much attention in recent times, thanks to the popularity of authors like Eckhart Tolle.

As the review of his book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, notes:

Living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. Our true identity is in our moment-to-moment experiences rather than in our past or future.

Concern about anything but the present is an unhealthy identification with the mind that can only cause pain and an illusion of control. Being totally aware of ourselves in each moment actually requires little effort or direction if we stop our thoughts long enough to find the pure consciousness that exists in the gaps between them.

Living in the moment is called mindfulness - a Buddhist practice whereby a person is intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally. In Buddhism, mindfulness is considered a prerequisite for developing insight and wisdom.

Mindfulness is being aware of your present moment. You are not judging, reflecting or thinking. You are simply observing the moment in which you find yourself. Moments are like a breath. Each breath is replaced by the next breath.

You’re there with no other purpose than being awake and aware of that moment. As John Kabit Zinn says reflecting on a Japanese mindfulness puzzle: “Wherever you go, there you are.”

Most of our unhappiness arises because we view the challenges in our lives as “problems.” But, as Dr. Brenda Shoshanna notes in her ebook, Living By Zen:

Zen practice is the way of no problem, of being fully with each step we take, not looking backwards or forward, just being present fully, one hundred percent. This is the way of not second guessing ourselves, or torturing ourselves with the conflict and remorse that accompanies every choice we make.

In Zen practice we do not make life into a problem, but into a wonderful adventure in which we learn, love, grow and thoroughly enjoy. This is the way of releasing ourselves and others from demands, images and expectations that have little to do with who we truly are now or what is going on in our lives. All experiences are welcomed and fully digested, not judged good or bad.

Mindfulness can be practiced anytime. In fact, you can start right now. By fully experiencing the words you are now reading, the thoughts you are thinking, the feelings you are experiencing.

It can be practised at the dinner table, by fully enjoying, in silence, every bite of food, every sip of water. It can be practised while talking a walk, as in walking meditation, which teaches one to fully experience every step you take.

As an intuitive person, I was unaccustomed to living in the moment. Intuitives have a tendency to live in the past or the future. So, for me, being mindful requires an effort. Traditional mindfulness exercises, like meditation, work well for me because I love quiet, introspective ways of learning.

But meditation is only one way to learn mindfulness and it’s not suitable for everyone. The Real-World Mindfulness Trainingâ„¢ program, developed by Maya Talisman Frost, includes a simple series of activities that anyone can do in order to both broaden and sharpen attention while engaging in daily activities.

If you could train your mind to let go of other desires,
you would be able to experience peace of mind.
The road to peace of mind is through a practice called mindfulness.”
- Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author, Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

Tags: mindfulness, Buddhism, Zen, Meditation, Spirituality, happiness, Personal Development

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