An unknown author said it well, “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

How do you stay rooted in the present moment? We have our to do lists and our goals. We drown ourselves with our smart phones and our IPads. We are busily squandering the present as it flies into the future. Then we comment on how time flies by.

Another trapping is to continue to examine the past. For example what happened in a relationship or how unfairly one was treated by a coworker. So many people continue to suffer from the results of a bad childhood. Living in the past is very toxic. The pain becomes self perpetuating.

How do we reconnect with the present moment? Meditation is wonderful. If I could only make myself sit down and do it! I found the meditation below and it seems easy and approachable:

The following is an excerpt from Shannon Duncan’s Present Moment Awareness.

Anchor yourself in the moment on your breath.
Do a body scan for sensations and tension.
Relax any tension you find, to the best of your ability.
Be open with all of your senses to the life going on around you.
Observe your thoughts as they float by.
Fully accept, don’t resist, whatever you sense.
Be patient and gentle with yourself. When you feel comfortable with this exercise, please continue.

I am going to commit to trying this meditation for 10 min per day for 7 days. Will you join me?