Being Present

“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.”

-James Thurber

During the very first yoga class I ever took, I remember having these thoughts: Am I doing this right? What is Mountain Pose again? You want me to put my leg where? I remember feeling challenged, feeling nervous, and feeling excited all at once. However, the thing that I remember the most was realizing afterwards that I had focused for an entire hour on nothing else besides my body, my breath, and the way I felt. Above all, I knew that I had just experienced something incredibly special – my yoga class had served as a gateway for me to experience complete presence in the moment. All of my daily thoughts and worries had disappeared, at least for an hour.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking along these lines: “If I can get an ‘A’ on this paper, I’ll get into a good school and get a great job and then have a nice life”, or “If I had done such and such, I would be living my dreams?”  Most of us have. As humans, most of our thoughts are centered on things that have already happened, and another large portion is focused on things that are yet to come. Being present means giving ourselves permission to let go of those things from the past or future and become aware of the moment we’re living in.  Being present gives us the opportunity to notice sights, sounds, feelings, and to have the ability to engage and connect with others completely. It allows us to achieve acceptance and peace in exactly the place you are without focusing on expectations or results. Many people have found that their yoga mat can be the perfect place to step back and allow for this process to happen naturally.

Since we were children, many of us have been under the impression that succeeding in life takes persistent planning and mapping of the future, or constant replaying of movies of the past in our heads to prevent the same mistakes. Don’t get me wrong – mapping out the future and goal setting are wonderful tools. However, it’s important to consider the order in which we execute steps to get to where we want to be. Rather than seeking out results first, if one is able to first achieve acceptance and peace in the present moment and let go of expectations, positive results can occur naturally afterwards. Lost opportunities can occur when we are living in the past or the future as opposed to the now and here. For example, if you are too distressed about not being able to balance on solely your hands in crow pose, you might not be able to see the growth that has already occurred. Perhaps your core is stronger or your gaze is more focused than it used to be. Once you are able to recognize that the present is the only place you can exist and find acceptance, a future of growth will present itself to you.

It all sounds great, but how can you make it happen? It may seem impossible to calm those daily thoughts and worries. In fact, they probably won’t ever go away completely. Just like riding a bicycle, start by focusing on a small goal first. Close your eyes and practice staying present for 1 to 5 minutes. It’s not as daunting as it may sound - existing in the present starts with simply noticing when we are trying to modify the present moment. When thoughts arrive, simply acknowledge them and allow them to pass by. Another tool to finding acceptance and peace in the now is through intentional breath, or pranayama in Sanskrit. The foundation of an asana practice, a purposeful conscious breath can create a sense of calm, stillness, and awareness.  Notice how your body feels and reacts to each inhale and exhale. 

The conscious opportunity to be present is always available to us in so many avenues. If we breathe, take time to savor our favorite foods, observe nature, listen and engage with friends, and feel the ground beneath us, we can understand that being right here in the present moment is the only place that life can exist.