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11 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Time in the Now
Editor's Note: This is a contribution by Henri Juntilla
"To be alive is to totally and openly participate in the simplicity and elegance of here and now." ~Donald Altman
Five years ago, my life was a mess compared to now. I was anxious, worried, afraid, and running away from my feelings—I was running away from the present moment.
So, what happened?
I started applying what I knew, which were really simple things, such as breathing, visualization, and being aware of my thought patterns.
I haven't found the Holy Grail, I simply took action. I had no idea how much my life was about to change, I just knew something had to change, because the way I was living (and feeling) wasn't cutting it.
I'd had enough of suffering. I wanted more. I'm not perfect, no one is, but I'm moving forward. If you'd like to do the same, I recommend:
1. Breathe.
What would an article about being present be without breathing at the top?
I stumbled onto old Buddhist texts early on in my life, and they emphasized breathing, so I started doing that.
At first it was hard, because my mind was racing all over the place, but after a while I became aware of the muscles and subtle energy sensations in my body.
When I focused on one part of my body, I started noticing a tingling of energy there. When I anchored myself into this very moment through my breath, I felt good, sometimes amazingly good.
2. Know your triggers.
I also started noticing triggers in my life. I noticed the small things that suddenly, almost out of nowhere, had me feeling angry, depressed, or even irritated.
I had a lot of triggers around my parents. (Don't we all?) My mother might have walked into the room and just looked at me a certain way, and I would spiral into a sea of irritation.
This is what I call a trigger. Triggers ca...
-tf-
