Delight in the Present Moment

I used to be one of those people who’d roll their eyes whenever I heard or read statements such as, “Be here now,” or “Be present,” or “Be mindful.” But, that was before I understood the meaning behind the words. That was before I began investigating and practicing being present in the moments that make up my day. That was before believing that delight is found in being present. 

We all have our own unique preconceived ideas about everything and everybody. But, when we take a risk and investigate an idea for ourselves, we might discover evidence that alters our original thought. So it was with me with contemplative prayer before I risked investigating the idea for myself.   

When I accepted an invitation from a friend to attend a contemplative prayer retreat at a monastery more than ten years ago, something unusual occurred. I experienced an internal peace and non-judgmental thinking about myself and others. It was a nanosecond worth of peace and opinion free thinking, but it was enough to wet my appetite and motivate me to continue to practice. 

This habit of contemplation has naturally morphed over the years and those nanoseconds of peace and being free of critical thoughts about myself and others has expanded into longer moments, moments that naturally occur throughout the day and not just when sitting still in contemplation. 

One of the components of contemplative prayer is slowing the breath down. The posture I take, sitting comfortably on the floor, usually on a yoga block in front of an opened window, is conducive to breathing slowly. My nose inhales the winter, spring, summer or fall morning air taking in the smell and temperature. The familiar posture that I take in front of the opened window cues my body and mind to settle into the present moment. I don’t set a timer because I don’t have to. Intuitively, I know when I’ve sat there long enough. I know when I am full, so to speak, and ready to move on. 

The practice of sitting still and breathing slowly, not analyzing, critiquing or planning sets a certain cadence or tempo within me, one that can’t help but go with me throughout my day. 

Why Bother?

Why bother delighting in the present moment? Life is lived one moment at a time and moments soon pass. If we don’t live it, we will miss out on delighting in it. 

P. S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.