Not a super flexy slender Yoga chick talks "the Power of Presence”

The great Eckhart Tolle wrote a book called The Power of Now. Yes, that is the inspiration behind my blogs.

In his book, he discusses the importance of being present in the moment we are experiencing. Are you really just walking when you are walking, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and admiring your surroundings? Or is walking an automatic movement while your brain is doing mental hula hoops? Are you enjoying every bite of that delicious pizza, taking in every flavor? Or are you just chewing mindlessly while scrolling through your phone?

I recently saw a video of a woman saying she doesn't gain weight because she eats with all her senses and is fully present in the moment. Every bite is a complete experience that leaves her satisfied, which means she doesn't feel the need to eat more. Her senses are "full." On the other hand, many of us eat without being present, and we tend to overeat because our senses are not truly engaged.

Presence also means truly living the day. When the mind starts to wander, you are no longer present. That is often when suffering begins.

Are you having a hard day at work and start wishing you were at the beach? You are creating suffering. Are you running a difficult distance and start wishing you were eating chocolate ice cream instead? You are creating suffering.

What if, while at work, you focused on what exactly is disturbing your peace? If you pay close attention, most of the time you will realize it’s not the work itself. It might be your attitude toward it, your work environment, or even something simple like dehydration or lack of movement.

What if, while running, you observed what’s really causing the discomfort? Is it truly your muscles giving out? Are you actually struggling to breathe, or is your mind being a little dramatic? Often, if you focus on one specific thing, your breath, a single muscle, you’ll find you can keep going.

This isn't to say things aren’t hard or unpleasant. Rather, it's an invitation to become aware of what makes something more or less pleasant. I’ve noticed that my thoughts, often not even truly “mine” but just random mental noise are usually the problem.

That’s why I love writing. When I write, my mind focuses on the words appearing on the screen. It just flows. The moment I start thinking about what to write, nothing comes out. But when I focus on what I feel, everything flows naturally. Maybe we need to shift some attention away from the brain and toward the heart. Maybe we need to think more with the heart. After all, they say there is a heart in the brain and a brain in the heart.

What do you think? Are you able to stay present for extended periods of time? Try it. You wouldn’t want to wake up one morning and think, “Where has the time gone?”