Hi everyone! I just got back from a wonderful 3 day getaway to the beaches of Bintan. It was the best time I’d had in a long time 
Before I left, I was feeling stressed, detached, and uninspired. Knowing I’d have the chance to be away, I resolved that I’d practice a timeless technique to bring me back to the moment and recharge myself.
Several times during my vacation, I took time to practice it, and it helped me feel alive again.
As a Zen master once said; this technique is so simple that a 5 year old can know it, but a 90 year old man can fail to practice it.
It’s simply the practice of being in the now.
The past and future never exist except in your own mind. But how many of you have had your mind zip away to somewhere else while reading this article? How many of you are, right now, thinking of something you did or going to do, instead of being fully here?
Every moment you spend away from the present is a moment you lose, and the only time you can ever really be alive is now.
But centering yourself isn’t rocket science, it’s quite easy. You don’t have to go anywhere, find anyone or even do anything much.
All you need to do is breathe!
1) Decide to take a moment for yourself (maybe this moment? :)). Find somewhere you won’t be disturbed.
2) Close your eyes, if you can, and decide to focus on nothing else but your own breathing.
3) Start taking deep breaths, and become more conscious of how it actually feels to take deep breaths. How does it feel going into your nose? How does your chest feel when it expands? Focus on nothing except your breath.
4) If thoughts of any kind intrude, let the thought go and come back to focusing on your breath.
6) Repeat as many times as you like, until you feel centered and in the now.
7) Open your eyes, noticing how differently the world looks, hears and feels.
We get caught up in our errant thoughts that often we lose focus of what it really means to be a human being, not a human doing, and to focus on the only time we have to be truly alive.
Give yourself the gift of now today
(That’s me on my vacation overlooking the beautiful seafront!)
November 8th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
I did that and I felt hungry.
Now my mind is clouded with what I should be eating for dinner.
November 9th, 2006 at 1:50 am
Wonderful post, Alvin. I recently wrote a post for lifehack.org called “Snap Back to Reality” that discusses how we tend to spend so much time NOT in the now. Like a rubber band if we don’t snap back to the “right-now” intentionally and consciously, eventually something will do it for us. And under those circumstances, the shock can be quite disconcerting.
Taking time to come back to the present throughout the day lessens the fatigue of always having our awareness somewhere else.
November 9th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Thanks for reminding me about it, now. I have been so caught up with a bunch of many things to do that I wasn’t in the now! I was forever in the “future” with all the projects coming up in my head, my plans etc.
No wonder I’m getting so stressed up ha!
November 9th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Haha whitespace, that happens. At least you’re very in the moment of being hungry
Thanks Tony! I agree, a lot of times it’s either a wonderful event or a shocking one, which is why I think becoming more present consciously is a worthy practice.
I was too Kloudiia! Having the privilege of lazing around the beach helped
November 10th, 2006 at 5:22 am
Hi, i agree.
i mentioned deep breathing on my blog. Its one of my tools too.
Thanks for all the wonderfull posts.
Cu
Moonlander
November 12th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
But don’t we all have to plan for tomorrow?
I think a lot of us need to buy courses, books & secrets to making money for later, no?
And what about “reflecting” and “learning” from our mistakes of yesterday?
Still, I think most of the other people are not even happy with their “now”. Maybe that’s why instead of enjoying “today”, they are always preparing for “a better tomorrow”.
The question is … if I can’t learn to enjoy “now” … then why would I enjoy tomorrow? Wouldn’t I keep wanting more … even when I get to tomorrow?
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I think this is a seriously awesome post Alvin, and those of us who’ve learnt the importance of being happy in the “now” really really appreciate … the fact that you’ve reminded us.
I just hope that the people who are rushing for more, take a moment and read some of your posts.
November 13th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Haha well written Rachit!
I hope that whenever I’m rushing for more, I stop a moment, take a deeeeeep breath, and remember the lesson I learnt from taking my wonderful vacation
November 24th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Eckhart Tolle - “The Power of Now” - check it out, if you haven’t already.
What you did - it’s called meditation lah.
Nice view … Banyan Tree Resort, right?
November 25th, 2006 at 1:04 am
Hey Mr Godot!
Nice to see you here
Yah, it’s the first simplest meditation technique I know, still invaluable after all this time. Forgive me if I glammed it up a bit ;P
Yes! Banyan Tree Bintan, absolutely gorgeous. Somehow I’m not surprised you know it
December 6th, 2006 at 1:11 am
Great post Alvin.
Now is the only moment that matters!
July 10th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
The put it a bit differently: either you’re dreaming about the future or worrying about the past but all those you’re still doing right now. Only a few prefer the real thing - it’s unpredictable and unknown, and it’s called living
July 13th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Hey, thanks!
I REALLY needed this.
I just found out that my girl was cheating on me.
It’s been tough on me.
It’s all I’ve been thinking about.
I think it’s a very effective method…