Today is as good a day as any to step fully into Now, don’t you think?

Relaxing at the beach on Sunday, I realized something: I wasn’t at the beach.

I mean, I was physically there, but I wasn’t actually there.

As I lay on the sand atop my blanket, with the waves crashing melodically, the sound of children screaming as they play, the cool breeze blowing the misty marine layer ashore, the sun gleaming, the seagulls crying — all happening, yet I was somewhere else.

Lost in thought. Ruminating over some idea.

The upcoming trip, the work I have to do, “What am I going to eat tonight?” “That family next to me sure seems to be having a lot of fun!” and on, and on.

The mind is always like this.

Always residing in some other time, some other place, somewhere other than where we are.

Until we practice being Here. And it does take practice.

The practice of meditation.

We have a ton of experience think-think-thinking our way through life, and every thought that passes is another remnant of the past.

As we sit and breathe, and watch the thoughts passing without getting attached, we become an aspect of the present moment.

We move into Now, simply by being there.

What lightness awaits you in the expanse of the present moment?

What relief from the constant barrage of plans and judgments?

You’ll have to stop, take this moment, and find out for yourself.

Stress Release Tip

If there is no thought in present moment, and stress only happens as a result of thinking some thought, what happens when we become aware of Now? We stop stressing! So how do we do that? Well, we can’t think about not thinking – that’s just another layer of thought. But we can attach our focus to something, like the breath, and then the mind becomes one with the object of our focus. There’s no thought when we direct the mind to focus on just one thing at a time.

Just like those lazy days of summer break when you were a child. Lost in timelessness, lost in the moment.

Mindful Homework

Mindfulness arises from the practice of being still. As we allow the mind to settle, we become more aware of our surroundings. Try this right now. Take a deep breath, feeling your abdomen with each in-breath, hold it for three seconds, and then slowly exhale. As you exhale, let your body relax. After this breath, notice what you are feeling. Notice how you are holding your body. Are you leaning to one side, are your legs crossed, shoulders tense? Just notice. And continue to keep the breath in the background as you allow your present moment awareness to expand from your body, out to everything happening around you.

Quote From Adam

“One of the dysfunctional patterns of the mind is the assumption that the Now needs to be filled with something all the time. Of course you have to do things, but see if you can also experience the spaciousness of this moment, the inherent goodness of this moment, regardless of what it contains.”

– Eckhart Tolle, “The Power of Now”

Liked This Post? If you liked this post and want to know more about meditation, you can sign up to our newsletter below.

Join Our Newsletter Join our community, receive our newsletter, and learn how to improve your life with meditation. I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information We respect your privacy