Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
[Buddha]
[Buddha]
3 Simple things to do TODAY to be more present
1. Breathe with your entire body.
Do this a couple times throughout the day! Sit or lay in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Take deep breaths, and as you inhale, imagine the breath starting at your toes and traveling up through your entire body, filling it with life-giving oxygen. As you exhale, imagine the breath traveling back out through your toes, carrying with it tension, stress, and worry.
2. Observe.
How often do we move through our day without seeing things around us? I mean really SEEING. Try to make a point of seeing everything you can - flowers blooming, a mother bird bringing food back to her babies, a stranger smiling at a passerby. When we intentionally notice things around us, we tend to realize how many amazing things we encounter in our daily lives that, most of the time, we simply don't see.
3. Smile.
Seems silly, right? Nope. Just simple. Smile! Smile at your family members and your friends. Smile at coworkers. Smile at strangers, especially rude ones. Smile at yourself in the mirror!! (Ok, I know that one sounds silly.) Try it, though. Try looking in the mirror and giving yourself a big, GENUINE smile. You'll be amazed at what it does for your soul.
Do this a couple times throughout the day! Sit or lay in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Take deep breaths, and as you inhale, imagine the breath starting at your toes and traveling up through your entire body, filling it with life-giving oxygen. As you exhale, imagine the breath traveling back out through your toes, carrying with it tension, stress, and worry.
2. Observe.
How often do we move through our day without seeing things around us? I mean really SEEING. Try to make a point of seeing everything you can - flowers blooming, a mother bird bringing food back to her babies, a stranger smiling at a passerby. When we intentionally notice things around us, we tend to realize how many amazing things we encounter in our daily lives that, most of the time, we simply don't see.
3. Smile.
Seems silly, right? Nope. Just simple. Smile! Smile at your family members and your friends. Smile at coworkers. Smile at strangers, especially rude ones. Smile at yourself in the mirror!! (Ok, I know that one sounds silly.) Try it, though. Try looking in the mirror and giving yourself a big, GENUINE smile. You'll be amazed at what it does for your soul.