Just soak in the moment now!

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” ~ Buddha. (Believe me, I did not write this and I’m not sure who did - but I thought of using this for my article today because wow does it speak to my heart!!! Worth the read).

Don’t wait to read it later! Barely the day started and... it's already six in the evening. Barely arrived on Monday and it's already Friday. and the month is already over and the year is almost over and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed and we realize that we lost our parents, friends and we realize it's too late to go back. So... Let's try, despite everything, to enjoy the remaining time...Let's keep looking for activities that we like...Let's put some color in our grey...Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.

And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left. Let's try to eliminate the afters. I'm doing it after...I'll say after...I'll think about it after...We leave everything for later like ′′ after ′′ is ours. Because what we don't understand is that: Afterwards, the coffee gets cold...afterwards, priorities change...Afterwards, the charm is broken...afterwards, health passes...Afterwards, the kids grow up...Afterwards parents get old...Afterwards, promises are forgotten...afterwards, the day becomes the night...afterwards life ends...And then it's often too late....So... Let's leave nothing for later...

Because still waiting see you later, we can lose the best moments, the best experiences, best friends, the best family...The day is today... The moment is now. We need to live more in the present moment. Living in the moment (also called mindfulness) is a state of an active, non-judgmental and conscious attention on the present. It is awareness (with all your senses) about self, others and surroundings in any particular moment.

It means not being anxious or worrying about the future nor dwelling in the past. Benefits of living in the moment. More awareness about thoughts and feelings. Better mental health as it reduces stress and anxiety. You will start noticing the unnoticed. Enhancing greatness and enjoyment in life. You become proactive in making decisions. Feel more conscious, peaceful, focused and alive. Increased concentration and productivity.

When I was in 8th grade, my best friend, who was so pretty, died from briquet gas with her whole family members right before entering the high school. It was in the freezing wintertime. I remember we had a lot of fun time together before she died. I went to the Buddhist temple with several classmates for her funeral. At that time, it was a cold and snowy day, and we stayed there for more than hours. After I came back home, I wondered, "Where did she go?" "She has always been with me." "Even though her body was buried in the cemetery, but where did her spirit go?" I had such questions in my head with deep grief.

Not so long time after her death, I lost my father in a car accident. I felt the deepest grief for losing him because he treated me like a friend. He was always working hard for us, and he died just like that. Losing two of my loved ones were too much for me at that time. I started to have more questions like one eventually dies and disappears whether he lives hard or not, then why we are born in this world? I made my mind and decided to live in the moment because life is only once. But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't live that way.

I was always anxious about my future and regretted the past. I felt like I am lost the direction of life and floating in the middle of the pacific ocean. I became more burdened and stressed, then I felt like I am way behind than others. I didn't know where I should go, and what is the purpose of my life. I was married once and got divorced, and then my life becomes worse. At that time, one of my acquaintances introduced me to the meditation class.

She told me that all the answers I am looking for are within, and I can find them if I meditate. Through meditation, I was able to see all the reasons for my pain and burden and the cause for my struggles. And I was able to let go of those things, then my mind and heart become so clear. I could know where I come from and where I am going after I die, and the best thing that happened to me is that I was able to live in the moment because I no longer held on to the past and being anxious for the future.

I have learned from meditation that I already had my answers to life within, but I couldn't see them because of my false thoughts and emotions. And only when I let go of those things, and then I was able to see the precise answers for my life and eventually be able to live in the moment. Living in the moment essentially means being aware and mindful of the present moment. It involves bringing your complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis.

Now, let's analytically breakdown what constitutes your present experience, and see how you can live in the present moment with regards to each of the constituents. In this process, you also see the effects of living in the moment. There are several components to your awareness of the present experience. Be aware of your body and be aware of your breathing: Our breathing is the link between our body and our mind. Sometimes our mind is thinking of one thing and our body is doing another, and our thought and action are not unified. By concentrating on our breathing, "in" and "out", we bring mind and body back together and become whole again.

Conscious breathing is a simple exercise that can be practised any time, even when doing other tasks. As you breathe in, you say to yourself, "I am breathing in." And as you breathe out, say, "I am breathing out." Be aware of your current activity. Just be mindful of what you are doing at any moment. Do not strain yourself with laments of the past or worries about the future. Do things for the sake of doing them, not to accomplish an objective.

For example, if you are washing dishes, don't lament about it. Don't imagine up alternate scenarios where you would be watching TV instead. Take every dirty dish into your hands with full awareness, watch the water flow over your hands and the dish and into the sink. Don't hurry up the task so that you can go watch TV later. If you cannot put your heart into washing dishes in the present, you also cannot put your heart into watching TV in the future. You will always be dragged into the future, and never be able to live in the present moment.

Be aware of your feelings. Observe your feelings. Observe the origination of your feelings and the dissolution of your feelings. You can practice it whenever you feel an intense emotion. For example, the next time you are angry, first bring your attention to the present moment by consciously breathing in and out a few times. Feel your heart beating in your chest. Then, move your attention to your anger. Analyse what caused your anger. Ask yourself what made you feel that way. Do not be judgemental of anyone or anything. Breakdown the cause of your anger to its essence. Observe how your anger evaporates slowly. Observe how you feel as the anger subsides.

Be aware of your thoughts. Sometimes, we get caught up in thoughts and lose awareness of the present moment. Of course, thinking is important, but quite a lot of our thinking is useless. Worrying about the future doesn't affect the future, doing things does. Similarly, crying over the past cannot change the past. So, be aware of the thoughts in your head. Let them flow till they dry up, or till they initiate fruitful actions. A simple trick to come out of endless thought chains is to snap your fingers. This involves your body, eyes and ears, and brings your attention back to the present moment. Cheers!