How the Present Moment Heals Us

Mascari, Brooke. September 19th, 2024

"As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.”

-Eckhart Tolle

Many of us have heard of the benefits of living in the present moment. However, it can be difficult to grasp exactly what that means.

When we have long to-do lists and a never-ending amount of life responsibilities to attend to, becoming present can seem impossible and unhelpful.

However, just the opposite is true. Becoming present in the here and now gives us the inner peace to move through our day with a restful awareness that provides greater intentionality, focus, and centeredness.

We often do not notice how out of the present moment we are. We tend to live perpetually in the past or future.

How often do we tune others out and sometimes have to ask people to repeat themselves for our lack of active listening?

We know that we are not present when we experience emotions such as anger, grudges, worry, regret, anxiety, and self-blame. These emotions pull us out of the present moment because they are often past or future-focused.

The present moment is the only time when creativity and inspiration arise. We must be present to give and receive love and gratitude. We often miss out on these wonderful emotions because we are not present!

So how do we become present?

If we notice we are in a conversation with someone who has tuned us out, we might feel undervalued and request to reschedule the conversation or meeting.

The same thing applies to us when we are angry, upset, complaining, worrying, or gossiping. When we do these things, we are somewhere else without knowing it. These are past and future emotions/behaviors.

If we can find a way to be present, then we get back in touch with the level of awareness that is centered, peaceful, alert, compassionate, and self-aware.

This is why the world’s wisdom traditions call the present moment “The Eternal Now.”

We cannot force the mind to be present. Mental effort is only a string of passing thoughts. Willpower, focus, and good intentions cannot bring us present-moment awareness.

However, when we catch ourselves being somewhere else mentally, there are simple things we can do to bring us back into the present.

Take a few deep breaths, or center your attention on the middle of your chest in the heart region. To be in the here and now, we must feel present in our bodies. That is what deep breathing and heart-centered attention can do.

If we take the time to realize it, we are already present in this moment. Ask yourself, “Who is it that is reading this article right now?” Present awareness is what is operating.

Meditation opens the way for us to experience present awareness without outside distractions. Meditation also takes us out of our ego and its constant need for attention.

When present-moment awareness does not have demands on it, we can feel how natural, easy, and healing it is.

As our meditation practice grows, it becomes just as natural and easy to become present in daily activity. Only when we are perfectly peaceful and at home in ourselves can the present moment begin to unfold as the source of lasting fulfillment; a state of awareness where we need nothing outside ourselves. The here and now becomes enough.

Let’s take a moment to become present and aware.

Allow your mind to focus on this sentence, “I am present to receive the gifts of life.”

Perhaps take a few deep breaths and place your attention on your breath. Our breath is one of the greatest tools to become centered, present, and at peace. The beauty of the breath is that we can use it anytime and anywhere.

As we take a few deep breaths, allow each breath to help you become more deeply relaxed in this moment. Drop your shoulders and unclench your jaw, hands, and muscles.

Take a few moments to pause and feel the peace of this present moment. If thoughts and stressors pop up in your mind, allow them to pass while you give yourself the freedom to relax and be in the moment.

As you continue throughout your day, keep this as your centering thought, “I am present to receive the gifts of life.”

When we are present during the day as we are performing tasks, it allows us to enjoy the little things in life and not take things for granted. When we act in the present moment, even the simplest actions can be imbued with a sense of love, care, and quality.

Being present allows us to value our relationships, enhance our emotional intelligence, and experience gratitude for everything we have rather than comparing our lives to the lives of others.

Being present allows us to heal in our bodies and minds as our nervous system is finally able to relax and calm.

Let us be present today so we can appreciate and truly experience the beauty life has to offer.

"Remember that there is only one important time, and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. Life is only available in the here and now. The past is already gone, and the future is yet to come"

-Thich Nhat Hanh