Exercise : A Moment to Be in the Moment

Two or three times a day, stop for 3−5 minutes and step away from the treadmill of life to take a break. Sit or lie down, or just be where you are. Take some deep breaths. Feel the air going in and out of your nostrils. Look around and see the shapes and the colors of objects around you. Really see them. Take in the play of the light merging with the shadows. Listen to the sounds. Keep relaxing into your body. Feel the different ways that your energy is flowing. Sense the vibrations pulsating in your hands, your feet. Listen to your heartbeat. Witness your feelings. Maybe you feel giddy, maybe you feel stressed. Just notice, without judging.

Also notice your physical sensations. Maybe you have a slight headache, or you're a little hungry. Take in as many elements of the moment as possible. Allow it to be. See if you can drop any desire to have the moment be different. Can you just let it be what it is? If you find that you are judging, anxious, or stressed, then witness your feelings and accept them as part of this moment, an element of it.

Mindfulness is the only activity that is not about doing but about being. We're not trying to produce any results, not trying to improve anything or get anywhere; we are just resting in the moment. The non-action of resting is what teaches us to be more serene, it allows us to accept, and embrace life as it is. This does not mean that we become passive, dispassionate, or resigned. It means that we're able to flow with and work with life and not brace against it, or try to manipulate it.

If you are a fish, you intuitively know that it is best to cooperate with the ocean. Fish do not try to control the ocean. They are life-smart. They naturally relax and flow with the currents. We can learn to do the same. There is power in cooperating with life. It is referred to as "effortless effort"
or "desire-less desire", which simply means ease of being. Sometimes, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying too hard and open yourself to receive. Ease of being helps us make deeper, more informed choices from a place of inner trust and self-confidence.