Yoga and the importance of the present moment
“Don’t struggle to stop the mind; learn to slow it down and create an opening in which new light may enter”
(Unknown)
The constant pressure of keeping up with daily life can leave us feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and restless. However, within this chaos, there is a powerful tool that can help us find peace and calmness – Yoga. In essence the Yoga practice like meditation or Dharana, intense concentration, seeks to answer the question of what defines the present moment and helps root the consciousness directly in it. In meditation, we direct our attention back to our breath whenever we notice our minds have wandered. This same concept can be used as part of our daily routine; when we notice ourselves feeling anxious, irritable, or just unhappy in general, we can stop and observe our thoughts. If our brains are focused on an activity also, we start to feel in the flow, we’re less likely to have our thoughts wandering around and that gives us ultimately, not only a sense of purpose, but also a feeling of aliveness, true Presence. This is not an easy state to be in. It is something that we could spend your whole lives practicing and still only glimpse it a few precious times. In these moments we are present, we are fully enjoying our existence on this planet.
What exactly does it mean to be in the present moment? The term Samadhi describes the present moment state; we’ve all experienced this at some point in our lives, moments when because of whatever reason, we were acutely aware of our surroundings, of the others, of ourselves, when we feel blissfully alive. Essentially, the present moment is when we aren’t thinking of a memory from the past or anticipating a future event. It’s also when we observe our thoughts and our breath without judgment or expectation. Being mindful stands in opposition to mind wandering, the moment when our attention fades away into a swirl of thoughts, emotions, feelings, to-do lists, pain, unexpecting news, disappointments, expectations of the future or worries of the past and the present moment is no longer existing for us. Staying present also fosters gratitude, which enhances the ability to appreciate the connections or the relationships one has or wishes to have.
Being in the right here, right now is the key to better mental health and the possibility of connection to something bigger and wider than we are in the Universe. Of course, we need to confer some of our time to both the past and future in life, when it is needed. Paying attention to the past will help you perform better in the present, as you can learn about the mistakes. And paying some attention to the future will help plan and act with a purpose. But it is not something that we should be constantly worrying about. Things always have a way to arrange themselves, in the best way possible for the bigger picture than just our own desires and expectations. While setting goals is useful (something I still do regularly), if taken to an extreme can cause unnecessary stress and expectation while depriving us of the beauty of this moment, something that personally I am still learning in my own journey as a Yoga teacher and student.
In theory, it sounds quite simple. We cannot live in the past - because it is gone. We cannot change it. We cannot live in the future - because it hasn’t arrived. All we really have is now - the present. But in practice, it becomes a challenge to be in the present moment. Our minds are constantly thinking, narrating our lives. Sometimes this can be helpful, but all too often this story is negative; our minds project themselves into the future, anticipating events turning out badly, endless scenarios that may or may not happen. We experience regretful thoughts for past events, and the whole time we’re missing out on the life that’s right in front of us. Many people ruin their happiness and well being by regretting and dwelling on things that have happened in the past. That ruins present happiness.
There are many ways that we can get closer to presence: paying attention to the breath and breathing more consciously throughout the day, simply becoming more aware of the fluctuations of the breath, meditation (even if the mind will start wandering again, we bring the attention back to the moment and so on, a hundred times if needed), learn to respond better to daily situations by being more attuned to the needs of the moment and many others. We can even learn how to be more present while doing simple tasks or habits like brushing the teeth or washing the dishes. Also, taking a walk is something extremely beneficial if we allow the mind to settle in the moment, to soak up the sounds around, the silence or even the noises of the environment, the colors, the temperature and so on. If you happen to be in nature, simply observe the hustle of the trees, the sound of the waves if you are by the sea, the leaves rustling or the soft grass. Once you pay attention, all the sounds will start to make sense and blend in into a whole, as part of SILENCE. If you have a furry companion, it is a wonderful opportunity to connect to the present moment by paying attention to them; animals have this beautiful capacity to simply be in the moment and part of the whole without any notion of separation or otherness. They simply ARE, rather than DOING something. They have awareness and consciousness. However, they DON’T live their lives in fear of the future or worry of the past as we do. Yes, they run from danger and react when needed, but they are not filled with anxiety in the meantime.
Anxiety often stems from excessive worry about the future or ruminating over past events. Yoga teaches us to anchor our awareness in the present moment, where true peace can be found, despite our external circumstances. If I am living in yesterday or the future, I am not in sync with reality (for the most part) which can lead to overwhelming anxiety, in the long run. Anxiety is often characterized by a restless and chaotic mind, constantly fluctuating between worries and fears. Yoga, with its focus on breath, movement, and mindfulness, offers a path to stillness and tranquility by quieting these fluctuations.
Taking the example of Yoga classes, one hour’s experience of ‘now’ , of being or living in the moment can be exhausting for some students, if there is this habit of always trying to flee from the present moment. This can lead to tiredness in the beginning, maybe more than performing the postures per se, however, with constant practice, one can actually pierce through this process and see progress in time. Laying a foundation of presence starts with our Yoga practice, by learning to pay attention. Allowing for example, deeper breaths to happen, become aware of patterns in our breathing while doing the postures, noticing uncomfortable sensations perhaps. The racing thoughts get calmer, the body settles, the breath is in tune with the movement and so on. We are becoming amazed, curious about the progress we are doing, the movement, the breath, each class in itself as a step forward, instead of approaching the practice with a to-do attitude and rushing to go through the postures and get it done.
When you get those blissful pauses in your practice, let yourself settle instead of anticipating the next cue. Take your time and when it gets hard, notice how your mind reacts. Notice the miracle of breath flowing in and out. Notice what the mind says, how it talks to you, and just like in your meditation practice, gently guide it back to the body and breath. Even if you know how the class will unfold, stay in the miracle of what is happening. Be patient and open to learning. Like most things in life, there is always more to learn and understand. We are actually now doing yoga for real.
************************************************************
