If you've read any of my blogs over the past few weeks, you may have gleaned that it's been a bit hectic. During this time, I've stayed committed to a morning walking practice in order to get outside, enjoy the cooler mornings, notice the birds and what's blossoming. I find it invigorating as it connects me to my beating heart and my supportive legs. It's also a time where I allow thoughts to come and go, sometimes inspired by a podcast that I might be listening to or simply some favorite music.
It was during one of these walks recently that I was going over my to-do list. I thought to myself, "OK, what's next?" and then I paused as the next thought slammed into me, "Not what's next, but what's now?". It was as though I was receiving a universal reminder to come back to all the beauty that was surrounding me. Part of me was almost nagging, "Stop planning! You're missing all the good stuff!". So in addition to my morning walking jaunt, I've consciously allowed myself to practice being in the moment of now. To really see the birds and the mountains with their remaining sprinkling of winter snow. To smell the orange blossoms fragrance wafting around my neighborhood. To sense the seasonal temperatures brushing against my skin. To be here now, as Ram Dass so famously said.
This week in classes, I've been encouraging people to truly sense their experience. When we come to the sensations happening, we can't help but be in the present moment. We don't smell, hear, or taste a future experience. When we allow ourselves to simply observe which senses are lighting themselves up within the physical experience, we are completely in the moment of now. This takes some level of concentration to simply bear witness to what's happening whilst remaining in a state of equanimity. We witness our experience without the need to fix or change it. As we become more adept at being with what is, we move away from the ego that so loves to dominate our attention. Eckhart Tolle says that being fully present allows us to disempower the ego. We notice when the ego is pulling at our proverbial sleeve and at that moment recognize ourselves more deeply.
Another practice that helps us to connect to the present moment is becoming more aware of what's called our "subtle" body. We talk about the subtle body in yoga in regards to aspects of ourselves such as the chakras (energy wheels), the koshas (layers of being from the physical to the non-physical), prana (the life force energy pulsing through our body); as well as our auric field, the bubble of energy that lays beyond the skin.
To sense the subtle body, close your eyes and let your awareness settle into your hands. Try to feel your hands from the inside. What do you sense? When I practice this, I get a strong sense of tingling and pulsing in the palms of my hands. The more I focus on the feeling, the more I can feel its presence throughout the body. Then see if you can notice this energy during movement as well as stillness. This is often referred to as our "inner being", the sense of self that isn't visible but we know is there, and we know that on a deeper level it has always been there. And this remains true despite the ever-changing stages of our physical form as it is thought to be present even when our physical form dissolves. As we experience this other aspect of ourselves not only are we radically present, but we connect to the essence of who we truly are. In other words, by understanding the less obvious forms of ourselves, we awaken to deeper stages of consciousness.
So as you scurry throughout the day and find that inner voice asking, "What's next?" allow yourself to pause and ask "What's now?" This is enough to bring us back home to our inner being and truly feel alive. Now is the only moment that matters. Now is where our life is happening...notice so you're not too busy and miss it!
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