Being Here - Not There
At the end of the day we all want to be happy.
It's very easy at the moment to get wrapped up in wishing things were different. These are strange times for everyone, whether you are having to stay at home or are needing to put yourself at risk working. Many of us are either fondly remembering times when things were more 'normal' and we could move around freely, or looking forward to some unknown future time when we are out of this situation.
What these have in common is that they are 'not here.' Our memories of the past are unreliable and tainted (Did we really make the most of our freedom? Were we without worry?). Our hopes, fears and wishes for the future are only our own projections, and we cannot know how things will actually play out. All we truly have is the present, the now - yet we seem to be reluctant to honestly spend our time here.
A core part of meditation is to help us train to be fully present. I say 'train' because this doesn't come naturally to us. Our untrained minds seem to want to be anywhere else but here. And often by dwelling in the past or the future we grow in agitation and dissatisfaction.
Learning to be in the present helps us to be calm, content, accepting - in short, to be happy. By practicing the mindfulness of being present we can find a deep happiness that even these trying times cannot dim.
The fully guided audio meditation below gives you the opportunity to practice this presence by becoming aware of when we are not here. This simple approach is a powerful way to become more present and to experience that happiness.
You can of course listen to and practice the meditation at any time, but a number of us have committed to hit 'play' together at 7pm PT on Sunday 26th April. You are welcome to join us if you wish.
As always I would love to hear from you if you find these useful or have questions.
May you be well and happy, Chris.
If the player above doesn't work for you please try clicking here.
Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash
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