How can I be PRESENT if I’m living with regret of something in the past?
If you’ve read anything from me, I’m sure you know that I’m pretty passionate about Consciousness. The idea of Consciousness is enthralling to me. I love the idea of fully EMBRACING that we are not our thoughts but the awareness behind them.
When I first discovered literature on Consciousness, I was able to find immediate relief (albeit short lived, but a start nonetheless) simply by separating myself from my thoughts. Seeing myself as separate from the negative self-talk that was occurring in my brain on a regular basis.
I struggled with intense racing thoughts for the majority of my adulthood. They were self-deprecating and caused me to live in a constant state of anxiety and fear.
It’s difficult and can be useless to try to control our thoughts. I’ve tried to do this, and it does NOT work. We can feel like we’re living in the past or future and can’t find a way out. We can feel controlled by our thoughts.
I have since learned one way out. Practicing the idea of living in the present moment.
Centering yourself in the NOW. When you are fully present, immersed in the now, you are not concerned about the past or the future. It’s impossible to be present AND think about past within the same moment. (Take a minute to really digest that last point. It’s pretty incredible when you feel the reality of that statement!)
One of the key points to Consciousness is this practice of living in the present moment. The present moment is the only place we can truly be happy. The past and future do not exist. The only thing that exists is RIGHT NOW.
For someone like myself who has struggled with ruminating thoughts and anxiety, I have to make it a daily practice to live in the now. Here is a little guide of what I am currently doing to practice presence.
How I practice living in THE NOW:
1. Acceptance.
Realizing & being OK with the fact that you cannot change the past.
2. Constant Redirection.
I catch myself when I’m thinking about the past and I redirect my thoughts to the PRESENT MOMENT.
One way to redirect your thoughts to the present moment is to focus on your breath. When you are focused on your breath, you cannot be thinking of past or future- that is why this is so effective! It deliciously forces you into the present moment!
Each time you catch yourself dwelling on the past & you redirect yourself to the present moment, you are raising your awareness of your thought processes and rewiring your brain to come back to the NOW. (i.e. it will get easier!)
3. Yoga/Running/Physical Activity.
Our emotions are expressed physically in our body. They can cause us to feel outright horrible. Sometimes, if I’m feeling anxious, i’ll notice it in my body before my brain even realizes that I’m anxious about something in the first place.
In conjunction with redirecting our thoughts to the NOW, it is also important that we redirect the physical manifestations of our emotions to the NOW. How can we do that? Movement! Walking, jogging, running, yoga- these are all ways to get our body moving to release the physical manifestation of our emotions.
4. Meditation.
Meditation is a beautiful practice of bringing our focus to the present moment. There are times when I feel a little too anxious to meditate, in which case I will practice yoga or go for a jog in order to release the tension in my body. Then, I will go back to meditation.
I alternate between guided medication and a simple timer. I’ve been using Insight Timer most as of late, and I really enjoy it.
I have a meditation section on this website here: meditations where I upload different meditations that I’ve recorded as they inspire me throughout my own Consciousness exploration.
These are a few things that have helped me practice staying in the present moment as of late.
Do you have anything different to add to the list? Comment below or send me an email HERE !