Rather than worrying about the future or mulling over the past, I am practicing staying in the present. It’s not easy! In fact, it’s much easier to get pulled into the “thought stream” of planning, worrying, remembering, regretting, and on and on.
Being in the present moment as much as possible is very important to me. I want to live my life (at least as many moments as possible) in the present, instead of being trapped inside my head, letting life slip by me unnoticed.
To remind myself throughout the day to come back to the present, to breathe and to pay attention to what is happening now, I’ve found the mindfulness bell incredibly helpful. On my laptop, I set the mindfulness bell to ring every 30 minutes (the timing is adjustable). I use it at work and when I’m working at home.
When it rings, I stop what I’m doing (putting aside the nagging thought that I’ll forget what I’m doing and not be able to get back to it—hogwash!
I’ve found that these short interludes make a huge difference in my day. I’m more in touch with what is happening within me and around me. I’m more grounded, more relaxed and more peaceful.
In the book, Peace is Every Step,
In my tradition, we use the temple bells to remind us to come back to the present moment. Every time we hear the bell, we stop talking, stop our thinking, and return to ourselves, breathing in and out, and smiling. Whatever we are doing, we pause for a moment and just enjoy our breathing . . . and get in touch with the wonders of life that are all around us—the flowers, the children, the beautiful sounds. Every time we get back in touch with ourselves, our conditions become favorable for us to encounter life in the present moment.