Being Very Present and Being Able to Act in the Moment

I was listening to the radio one day and heard musicians giving an interview. One said, of her collaboration with her partner, that you have to be very present and be able to react in the moment in order to play music with anybody. 

That speaks directly to what we touched upon last week in talking about the withdrawal of the senses. In order to be that focused, in order to be that present, you need to be able to focus. It helps to do something you love as much as musicians love music. The practice of pratyahara can be incredibly useful to your day-to-day life. The practice enables you to be more focused as you become less distracted by the world a large. You then have the opportunity and the resources to be able to know your internal states better. 

So, once you practice drawing your senses inside and the world is a little less in your face, so to speak, what do you do with all of the stuff that comes up from your mind now that you have a better ability to notice it?

The external distractions are only part of what can occupy your mind. There is also all of the internal states that seem to arise unbidden when you manage to find the time to sit still for any length of time. There is the possibility of moving past the seemingly random thoughts that flit through your mind. The ancients of yoga sat still quietly for long enough to discern several aspects of mind. One of which stores information, another which has the ability to direct our thoughts. 

It takes bravery to be able to cultivate the will to sit still and watch. The key word is watch. The ability to watch thoughts without having to engage the story line takes discipline. Luckily you have all the tools you need to do it. You just have to believe it. That may seem trite, but it is the only way its going to work. If you've been practicing for any length of time, you know this to be true. You begin to notice the increase in capability. That eventually sinks in and you believe in yourself more and more, which means you can do more than you thought possible.

Something I've been working on lately is giving myself the freedom from tomorrow. Similar to the idea that telling yourself to have sound sleep will help you have sound sleep, I have been taking time in the evenings to let go of the anticipation if tomorrow. There are always things I want to accomplish, particularly getting up before the kids to practice yoga. I find I am most successful at this endeavor when I purposefully let go of the tension I feel around whether or not I will accomplish it. 

The way you can be the most present is by taking time to contemplate your reactions, coupled with yoga and meditation to cultivate the will to move away from those reactions. And surround yourself with people who you want to be present with. Be choosy with who you spend your spare time with. It is precious, and if you can fill it with people who are supportive of your efforts, you will even more successful.