Getting to the present moment
One of the first instructions in a mindfulness exercise is often, "bring your attention to the present moment." It is also one of the goals of being mindful during daily life. It is easier to say than it is to do sometimes.
A lot of mental activity competes with the present. We get caught up in emotional reactions to what has happened in our past (both recent and more distant), or what we fear might happen in the future. We are working on trying to solve problems. We are involved in being distracted by any number of things. So the present moment unfolds without our awareness. The other dimensions of my mental activity seem so much more compelling than what is happening right now.
So how do I break through?
One way is to start with directing your attention to some basic sensory experience. What are you seeing right in this moment? (As I typed this, I suddenly noticed that my computer screen is dirty! I was looking right past that in trying to compose this message.) What do you hear right now? The sensory experience happens in the moment and it draws us out of the "busy" mind that catches our attention so much of the waking day. Try it the next time you want to be in the moment. John Weaver, Psy.D.
