(28-05-13) Three simple ways to enter the present moment

by Mike Bundrant

(NaturalNews) The calm of the eternal present is always with us. Accessing it
is deceptively simple. In fact, it is more complicated to escape the present
moment than to be in it.

The problem is, we are naturally complicated! We learn early in life to avoid
the simplicity of the moment and live inside an entangled mind-mess.

So, back to basics!

We connect to the present through our senses. In this article, we'll review
simple ways to use the senses to sweep away the mind-mess and just be here and
now. The trick is to avoid making meaning. When you make meaning, you must go
inside your mind. It is so easy at that point to make meaning that is
emotionally upsetting.

All of us need a break from the internal commotion.

How to access the external present
For me, the external present is the break I need. It is so calm and mundane.
When I am fully aware of my immediate surroundings, there is no mind chatter,
no worry about the future, no regret, no problem. We cannot spend all of our
time here, but spending some time here every day is extraordinarily beneficial.

The key to getting really calm is to pay attention to the consistent and
mundane. We can do it by listening, feeling and seeing in particular ways. Here
are some examples.

Listen: Choose white noise and tune in fully. The sound of a fan. The hum of
the refrigerator. The sound of running water. Mundane, consistent white noise
is what you want.

Tune in, just listen and do not try to relax - just tune in fully to the
sound. After a few seconds, you will feel yourself "settle." Research has
proven that this settling is related to your brain's Default Mode Network
(DMN). It switches off when engaged in this kind of conscious task. The DMN is
the brain's autopilot - which has been called the "inner commotion machine."

Feel: Feel textures and temperatures in your immediate environment. The feel
of the texture of your clothing on your skin. Feel the temperature of the
table, or something cool. Feel the rough texture of your blue jeans against the
back of your hand.

Put all of your attention on the feeling and forget everything else. You
should experience the same settling after a few seconds. When you settle, you
have achieved true contact with your environment and have arrived in the calm
of the here and now.

See: See patterns, shapes and textures. Don't see what things are. See how
they are. Textures, shapes and patterns are everywhere! When you look at your
house, see the texture of the siding. See the overall shape of the home and the
pattern or texture in the brick, stone or stucco, for example.

The visual is more complicated because we are so used to labeling things,
making meaning out of them and getting lost in that meaning. However, when you
simply see patterns, shapes and texture, you see the world differently - much
calmer.

Again, don't expect to live your entire life in the present moment. You cannot
prosper without planning a future. You cannot grow and develop character
without learning from the past. You can, however, benefit greatly by giving
your mind a break - even for a few minutes a day - in the eternal, meaningless
present.

I hope you enjoy these tools. The iNLP Center offers a comprehensive program
that turns off your stress switch - the brain's DMN - by expanding on these
ideas. Check it out here.

Fonte: (NaturalNews)

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