In Social Media we’re swimming in images related to present moment living.
Thank you, Eckhart Tolle, for raising our awareness of living in the present moment in “The Power of Now, a Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.” You helped a generation see truth during a time in history when we were moving at the speed of machines. (inspired by Pico Iyer)
But, how do we practice it? Reading quotes isn’t going to be enough in the everyday practical realm where real life collides with our ideals.
(Know your enemy.)
It’s a little part of your brain that is responsible for generating fear and aggression and it’s armed with an avalance of associations that draw real-time comparisons from every little historical snapshot of your life. It seeks to destroy your present moment with associations, memories and blasts from the past that hit you like a wrecking ball.
It’s You vs. your Amygdala.
Unfortunately, your amygdala is going no where so you must demonstrate who is the BOSS of you!
Your heart.
Not your brain.
Kick it to the curb like a real girlboss!
Pronto!
How does this work?
It’s a normal, everyday kind of day and something happens that sort of stabs you…an irritation of sorts, could be relational, professional and your emotional sensor gets a hit. You know the feeling when you’ve been emotionally triggered. Shakes you right out of the present moment. Before you have time to respond your amygdala has made associations from your past that have feeling similarities to what is happening right here, right now and all of a sudden you are experiencing a cascade reaction over which you have no apparent control.
But you do.
It’s called self determination!
You have the power to jump into the driver’s seat of your reaction aimed for your own personal detour. You have to know what you’re up against. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free…from your amygdala! Your brain creates well worn highways over the same stories and the tracks are deeply embedded.
This is the doodoo that positions us miles from the present moment. Without conscious awareness, a million times a day our amygdala is firing and we are reacting to our past in present moment realities.
I have a secret.
You have three super powers called:
GRACE
Your very own BREATH and
WILLPOWER
All necessary to live in the promised land of the present moment.
Grace to be gentle with yourself when you drive the well worn paths of fear and aggression. Dust yourself off, give yourself a hug and begin again.
Breathing awareness and connection to your breathing patterns will always bring you right back to the present moment.
Simply taking your attention to your breath and focus on making it
DEEP
QUIET
SLOW
REGULAR
Next image your breathing to be inhaled and exhaled
through your heart center.
This is called heart centered breathing and it will always return you to the present moment.
It’s really simple.
So simple it’s unbelievable but it’s been my single most successful strategy to live in the present moment.
However, you’ll need turbo charged willpower because as simple as it is, the amygdala is a mighty force and it knows all your secrets and it’s not going down without a fight.
But you are a girlboss and you are competent and capable of allowing your heart to win over your brain.
Did you know your heart has it’s own intelligence?
The vagus nerve is another messaging and alert system for your body. I believe it’s through heart centered living that we are ultimate victors over our amygdala and thus reside in the promised land of the present moment.
But more on your heart’s intelligence in a different post.
For now remember the facts about the amygdala.
You are it’s boss and you don’t have to be bullied into fear and aggressive reactions.
1. You are a girlboss and you don’t have to be bulled into fear and aggressive reactions.
2. You can tap into your heart’s intelligence with your focused breathing patterns and allow your heart to do the messaging for you.
3. You can tell yourself the truth about your past.
4. You can make a choice to reject fear and aggression in favor of a choice for grace, peace and love in the present moment.
The process, although simple, requires all the willpower and support you can provide it. Gather your present moment tribe to support a present moment lifestyle.
The tribal rules are real. We tend to be like those with whom we associate. Surround yourself with present moment practitioners and you are far more likely to dwell in that promised land.
“The past has no power over the present moment.”
― Eckhart Tolle
‘She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.’ Terri St Cloud
