Hi,
I'm Ian Davis,
Creative Strategist,
IMTA Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher,
And Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher.
Are we meeting each moment fully?
That's a question to think about.
Do we meet each moment fully?
The present moment is the most powerful place we can be.
The present is where life actually happens.
But the present isn't always easy.
It sometimes asks us to sit with grief,
Loss,
Or discomfort.
And at other times,
The present is joy,
Laughter,
And ease.
But the present moment,
And how we meet each moment,
Is always real.
That realness is a gift.
A present we unwrap with each inhale,
Each heartbeat,
Each exhale,
And each pause,
To simply notice that we are here.
When we give ourselves the gift of presence,
It's an opportunity to experience life more fully.
To notice our breath,
To feel our bodies,
To appreciate the beauty around us,
And to connect more deeply with ourselves and others.
Meeting each moment in presence is about realizing that this moment,
Simple,
Ordinary,
Or imperfect,
Is enough.
When we live from that awareness,
We open the door to peace,
Clarity,
And creativity that's always been within us.
I believe our society is in a place where our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation.
Where a lot of us traverse through each day,
In each moment,
Without meeting each moment fully,
Or acknowledging what truly is here and now.
We're often stuck ruminating on the past,
Wishing we can change things that have already happened,
Or we're hyperfixated on the expectation,
Plans,
Or outcomes of the future,
Which isn't here yet.
But having and finding peace within requires us to be present in the moment.
Because the only time we truly have is this moment.
Not yesterday,
Not tomorrow,
But right here.
Thich Nhat Hanh says,
To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past,
Or responsibly plan for the future.
The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past,
Or worries about the future.
If you are firmly grounded in the present moment,
The past can be an object of inquiry,
The object of your mindfulness and concentration.
You can attain many insights by looking into the past,
But you are still grounded in the present moment.
Now,
Let's practice meeting each moment.
Find yourself into a comfortable position,
Preferably sitting down on a chair or on a cushion.
Allow your back to be straight,
But not too upright and tight.
Allow your arms to hang loosely,
Finding a resting place for your hands,
Maybe on your lap,
Palms up or palms down,
Whatever is most comfortable for you.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to shutter your eyes closed or lower them to a slight gaze,
Whatever is most comfortable and least harmful for you.
Let's start by bringing some awareness to our breath by noticing each inhale and noticing each exhale for the next three breaths.
Stay there and meet those breaths fully for the next few moments,
Allowing each breath to bring you into the present moment.
If your attention wanders away from your breath,
That's okay.
Just allow it to dissolve or pass like a cloud in the sky and simply just bring it back to your breath.
I invite you now to notice your heartbeat,
Meeting that fully,
Allowing each beat of your heart to bring you into the present.
If your attention wanders away from your heartbeat,
That's okay.
Allow it to dissolve and fade away and simply just begin again,
Bringing your awareness back to your heartbeat.
I invite you now to notice the thoughts and the emotions that arise in the next few moments.
Meet those thoughts and emotions fully,
Without any judgment.
Now,
I invite you to notice the sensations that arise in your body in the next few moments.
Meeting those sensations or feelings that arise in your body fully,
Bringing you into the present.
Releasing the awareness of your attention on your sensations and feelings in your body.
And I invite you now to quietly say to yourself,
May I meet this moment fully?
May I meet it as a friend?
May I meet this moment fully?
May I meet it as a friend?
Sitting with that for the next few moments,
Meeting each moment fully and meeting each moment as a friend.
And when you're ready,
Releasing the phrases and just taking a quick moment to rest.
No pushing,
No pulling,
No doing,
Just resting and being.
Slowly bringing your attention back to your breath,
By taking a deep inhale,
In and up through your nose,
Expanding your chest and your belly like a balloon.
Exhaling and releasing your breath down and out through your mouth.
Again,
Taking a deep inhale,
In and up through your nose,
Expanding your chest and your belly like a balloon.
Exhaling and releasing down and out through your mouth.
Again,
Taking a deep inhale,
In and up through your nose,
Expanding your chest and your belly like a balloon.
Exhaling and releasing down and out through your mouth.
When you're ready,
Slowly bringing some movement back into your body,
Maybe wiggling your fingertips or your toes.
Maybe rolling your neck,
Your wrists or your shoulders.
And fluttering your eyes open,
Bringing yourself back into whatever room or space that you're in.
Thank you.
I dedicate the merit and energy of this practice for the benefit of all beings to be free from any harm or suffering and to live with peace and ease.
Meeting the moment as it is allows us to see things as they are,
To see the changing nature,
To see the impermanence,
To see that constant flow of pleasant and painful events outside of our control.
Ongoing mindfulness practice is when we can decide to meet each moment fully and even meet each moment as a friend.
Meeting it as a friend requires no judgment.
So I invite you to take this practice with you as you navigate through the rest of your day,
The rest of your week.
Explore what meeting a moment fully looks like.
But also,
Notice when you find yourself in contention with a moment rather than open to it.
Challenge yourself to be fully present.
When you're not,
Maybe note and log the moments of when your attention has slipped away.
How long did it take for you to come back?
And let's see what happens.
Thank you for practicing with me.
Have an amazing day.
Be well.
Stay mindful.
