It comes as a great shock to many of us: the sense of being lost and the fear that we have somehow missed the boat in life.
As our days continue to speed along, the urgency to connect with who we really are compels us to dig deep and find answers. What now?
In this crisis of meaning, the challenge is to find ways to recreate and to revitalize ourselves in the face of change and loss.
The Here-and-Now is the subjective space in which we meet our experience as it is happening. It is the space in which we authentically meet ourselves; the place of our encounter with our sensations, perceptions, and mind states. Here-and Now is also where we engage the interior conversation that, for better or for worse, creates the framework that determines the quality of our lives.
I like the idea of encountering the here-and-now because it underscores the fact that the way we meet the moment is a dynamic, transactional process. Moments flow one into the next, giving us the opportunity to learn to dance with life. We can attune our awareness to the emerging moment in a way that optimizes our ability to remain balanced and in a state of flow.
“NOW MOMENTS” —moments in which we are aware of the here-and-now— can be described in two basic ways: as PRESENT MOMENTS and as MOMENTS OF PRESENCE. Each moment of the here-and-now is both a particular moment of chronological time and a moment when we can be present with ourselves (or not).
NOW MOMENTS are moments in which we are present to (or with) the here-and-now of our experience and, at the same time, are aware that we are present. In other words, now moments are moments of self-reflection. They are moments in which we are present to an experience of Being.
The depth and vividness of Now Moments are of particular interest in both meditation and in the process of mindfulness-informed psychotherapy. NOW MOMENTS provide the opportunity to bring awareness to how we relate to the process of living, both within ourselves (our feelings, mood, and narratives) and in our interaction with others. We can notice and reflect upon how we do and don’t flow with the moment; the nature of the difficulties we have in being with the present moment, and what takes us away from the moment.
Deepening our awareness of the dance of life allows to frame the moment with wise and compassionate intentions towards our situation, ourselves, and others.
