meeting the moment
Meet the moment as it is, and discover a wealth of possibilities.
Unknown
If you’re anything like me/a modern day human, you are likely thinking about what’s next or what can be improved moving forward. The to-do list is endless, the thought cycle is ongoing. And it’s exhausting.
One of the many reasons I cherish the yoga asana practice is its facilitation of the study of mind and body in the moment — oftentimes in complicated postures — which ultimately challenges and asks us to be present and breathe well in a variety of circumstances. The moment we resist it or try too hard to fix it is the moment that suffering begins.
Of course suffering occurs when things happen that rock our world or upset us, it is a human experience. That resistance, fear, anxiety, grief and/or vulnerability is there to both protect us and crack our heart open; these emotions and experiences keep us alert and alive and help us to recognize/learn from both the dark and the light.
The work then is not to get caught in the suffering — or what is “wrong” — and keep as much attention as possible on what is right, however big or small.
When we surrender into the moment as it is — even if slightly uncomfortable [i.e. heartache is not fun to sit with] — we might realize that there are still things that are going OK versus the multitude of things that feel off. This does not mean having to cultivate gratitude for every single thing at every single moment, but simply noticing what is right for right now.
It can be easier for some of us to ride the waves of self-pity/doubt/fear/anxiety than to flow with/recognize/appreciate the simple things that are going right: our breath, shelter, clothing to keep us warm, water and food to nourish us, a good song that just came up on our Spotify queue, an object we cherish whether an artifact or book or memento.
Food and relationship expert Geneen Roth suggests that, when we practice what is going right, we look at the space around us in that exact moment so that we are clear about what is right right now instead of what will be/is right out of sight, just like a meditation of breath awareness can soften our resistance.
Right and wrong is all relative — I typically prefer to steer away from those labels, but use it if it’s helpful to ground you into the moment in times when you do feel like things are shaky or falling apart, or simply not optimal. Use whatever vocabulary suits you [although this exercise is not about what is “good” versus “bad”] to remind yourself of the “rightness” that surrounds you.
In Buddhism there is a saying that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. We may not be able to completely avoid either as a human on this earth today, but we can certainly remember that we do have a choice and that every moment offers an opportunity to simply stay present what is right right now instead of projecting fear into the future or sulking in guilt from the past.
This doesn’t mean that everything needs to nor will be butterflies and rainbows all the time, but it can at least help make situations — whether joyful or challenging — a little less stressful/a little more habitable.
When you look around you in this moment, what are one or a few things that feel right right now? Does it help to shift perspective at all, to drop the mind into the moment and relieve any residue of resistance?
Read the newsletter for tips my recent sourdough bread experiment, details on my Costa Rica retreat, new YouTube classes and podcast, nourishing discounts from likeminded brands, and an inspiring conversation.
Photo by Grant Henry Media at Yoga Vida USQ, NYC.
No Comments