essential blog
Living In The Moment
So February has flurried in – quite literally! With snow flurries all
over Ibiza the first week of February… And it even settling in
places! Whilst it may not be time to get your snowboard and salopettes
out quite yet, it does show us that life is full of surprises!
Whilst modern life conditions us to plan for the future, the fact of the
matter is that the only constant is change. Living in the moment (or
Mindfulness as it is known in Buddhist philosophy) encourages us to live
on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally. This doesn’t
mean spending hours contemplating your navel, it simply means becoming
more aware of what you are doing: simply feeling more, thinking less.
We live in a society that suffers from ‘time poverty’ so ‘hurry
sickness’ is rife. We fantasise about going on holiday and what we are
going to do when we get there. And when we go on holiday, we worry about
work and what we’re not doing there. We dwell on past mistakes and worry
about problems of the future. Non-judgmental awareness offers an
assortment of benefits including stress reduction, boosting the immune
function, reduction of chronic pain, lowering blood pressure and
reduction of the risk of heart disease, even helping patients to cope
with cancer. Mindfulness may even slow the progression of HIV.
People who live ‘Mindfully’ are happier, more confident, and can
empathise better. They are also more accepting – of themselves and
others. They have better relationships, cope better with negativity and
have less bad habits. Mindfulness is the core of Buddhism, Taoism, Yoga
and many Native-American traditions.
Simply put, if you’re not in the moment, then you’re not there to know
that you’re not there. It takes practice to awaken to the present
moment. And intention. Give it a try… if not, you will never know the
happiness of a moment until it becomes a memory. Enjoy every moment.
Wishing you a great February and Essential Health and Happiness
always…
Emma PranaSol