The Present is the Present

The gift of staying centered in the NOW.

Last week I recapped my cruise to Jamaica, but one of the most recurring conversations we had was around staying present in the now moment. The yoga teacher, Nadine, who was our guru on the cruise with us (check her out, she's JAAHHHmazing – @universalempress / www.universalempress.com) really brought this home for me while in Warrior Two pose. If we are leaning too far forward, we are grasping at the future, if we are leaning too far backward, we are holding on to something in the past. If we are centered, and present, we can live fully in the NOW.

Wayne Dyer also talks about the Present Moment and Now reality quite a bit. There is only NOW. Now. Now. Now. Now. The future is a construct, and the past is gone. Stay centered in the now, and receive all the gifts of today's reality. Here. And Now. He also calls this "Getting in the Gap," the gap between thoughts, the gap between breaths, the gap between the chaos. If you focus on the gap, you'll be focused on the now.

To add to that, here are five tools I use to stay present:

1. Focus on your own mat
In yoga, this means don't compare yourself to others. Just stay focused on what you're doing, and the right things will fall into place. The minute we focus elsewhere, we lose our balance, wobble, maybe even fall. Keep your eyes on your own mat, and stay present.

2. Flip the script
You know I use this in every instance I can! So of course it's valuable here as well – the minute I catch myself worrying about how something is going to fall into place, working out the details on something I can't control, or ruminating on the past with regret or what if, I remind myself to flip the script, find the value in it, let it go, have gratitude, and bring the joy back to the present.

3. Gratitude
Gratitude keeps you present. By focusing on what you're grateful for, you can be present on the here and now. Having a practice of gratitude every morning to start your day reminds your heart and mind to stay present with yourself and the gifts all around you that life has given you.

4. Grounding
I use many techniques for grounding – from yoga to crystals to earthing, it doesn't matter what technique it is, so long as it roots you into the present moment. When I'm feeling uncentered by the pace of life, I find that walking barefoot on the earth and feeling her solid presence beneath my feet is what brings me back to my body the best.

5. Breathwork
Just like with grounding, Breathwork is a practice that is both simple and effective. Bringing your awareness back to the constant of your breath, in and out, in and out, expanding it, counting it, witnessing it, always always makes the rest of the world melt away, leaving only the here and now.

Be present this holiday season, for yourself.
There is only NOW.