The Present Moment

is Stress-Free

The present moment is here now. It is no where else and at no other time in existence.

When we are truly present, it is IMPOSSIBLE to be stressed. Therefore...

... Being present is one of the ultimate stress reduction techniques!

There are three EASY ways to access this moment -

• Through breath - Just follow the breath. Experience the inhale and the exhale.

• Through sound - Notice the sounds that are happening now or create your own with chanting.

• Through sensation - Become aware of the sensations in your body that are present now.

When you're really in this moment, your brain works differently... you don't think the same way...

A few years ago I decided to practice continuous breath awareness for one week. I wanted to be fully present. No matter what I did, to the best of my ability, I stayed aware of my breath.

This included eating, cleaning, working, self-grooming, driving... everything.

After a short period of time I noticed something interesting...

I quit thinking in the way that I usually did. In fact, during that week, my mind was often empty. The few thoughts I had seemed to be about my present experience rather than about the past or the future.

It was a stunning and life transforming experience.

With practice, this breath, sound, or sensation becomes a doorway to even more present moment awareness... the subtle energy shifts in the room, the shift in atmospheric pressure, and Guidance for the path ahead.

In this moment, we experience the truth of what is rather than the delusion of what we think is important. It enables us to access and respond to what is truly needed or wanted.

Though I could give you an example of this, I think the only way to truly "get it" is to experience it.

Try this simple practice right now...

Notice your breath for the next 10 breath cycles. A breath cycle includes the inhale and the exhale. Be aware of the moment when the inhale becomes the exhale and the exhale becomes the inhale. Do not pause at that moment. Let your breath be continuous. At the end of the inhale begin the exhale. At the end of the exhale begin the inhale.

Most of us hold our breath at various points along the breath cycle - at these moments we are completely out of present moment consciousness.

When we stay present throughout the entire breath cycle, we begin to access the Essential quality of Presence.

If you're like most of us, you usually have a lot of chatter going on in your mind and you may not have been able to stay aware of your breath for ten cycles without your mind wandering...

...No worries - you're normal!

There is a really great book - The Presence Process: A Healing Journey into Present Moment Awareness by Michael Brown - that uses continuous breathing - breath without pauses - as the primary practice for psychospirual healing and awakening.

Continuous breathing is one of the characteristics of Integrative Breathwork - a healing modality I use. Continuous or circular breathing is healing because it - in a sense - makes us be present.

When we're able to continuously stay in the present moment, unconscious parts become conscious. When this happens the parts of ourselves that we have repressed or pushed into our unconscious begin to rise to the surface...

This could be unresolved feelings of loss, anger, fear, loneliness, happiness, or excitement... or Essence qualities like Love, Wisdom, Joy, or Strength.

Meditation practice helps us access the present moment more and more. Most types of meditation have us focus on a specific aspect of the present such as breath, a sound, or sensation - to bring us into this moment.

If you want to know more...

Jon Kabat-Zinn has written several books about meditation including Wherever You Go, There You Are (ROUGH CUT).

Eckhart Tolle has invited us into the present moment with The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenmentand A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.

If you like to read, I highly recommend all of these books.

Go from the Present Moment to Mindfulness.