Last week ve been practicing “here and now”. What an awesome feelings to pull the awareness from the web on thoughts into here and now! I noted that the best practice to do so is to concentrate on the body, the breath or other senses.
What are the other techniques to stay totally present and focused on here and now?
How do you pull your mind from the flow of thoughts back to the reality?
Thank you
There a saying in Buddhism to ‘wash the dishes to wash the dishes’. The idea is to do daily activities while being mindful. You don’t, for example, wash the dishes while thinking about how you want them clean. You wash the dishes and be aware of the experience of washing the dishes. As soon as your mind wanders, you bring it back to the experience of washing the dishes. As soon as your mind starts to comment and says “oh look, I’m being mindful of washing the dishes, this is easy to be mindful of washing the dishes bla bla bla…” then you’ve lost it, and you return your mind back to the task. This practice is encouraged for many activities. Making tea, doing house work, exercising and obviously this is what Yoga and meditation is all about.
Recently I noticed I’m more and more skeptical about “here and now” concept (in context of being trapped in thoughts). Thoughts are happening here and now. So if I’m focused on my thoughts it means that I am present here and now. I’m in contact with something happening here and now.
After all physical sensations are also some sort of mental activity (its after all the information transmitted to our brain by neural connections - and this is what we perceive, not actual things themselves). Why being aware of this type of brain activity is more desirable than being aware of other type (e.g. everyday thoughts)? We can also be trapped in body awareness - e.g. if something is painful or we feel lot of pleasure.
After some meditation classes I think its more about balance and an ability to calm down your mind irrespectively of the type of activity rather than developing awareness of your physical body. And that I should practice “letting go” of everything I can focus on - whether thoughts about my work or sensations in my body. And once I learn to calm down my mind I can perceive more subtle things which I usually don’t notice because all this thoughts race…
To slow down this race I usually focus on breath or thoughts themselves. But I guess also focusing on the difference between my racing mind and this silence around helps me. Somehow seeing this makes me less “trapped” in thoughts. I see then my racing mind as a little, turbulent part of the space (rather than seeing it as all my world). It helps me somehow to stand on the side and allow this race to slow down…
[QUOTE=CityMonk;36988]to concentrate on the body, the breath or other senses.
[/QUOTE]
I guess smell is the special one. It gives me a “time feeling”.
You know, like some smell from your childhood brings out “forgotten” memories. The same thing with here and now.
By the way, if anybody is interested in non-yoga literature about it, there`s a book of Ekhart Tolle “The Power of Now”.
Pawel, in many cases physical sensations are more important than everyday thoughts, because this thoughts usually repeats everyday and makes no real sense. “A mental chewing gum”:). Mostly it`s a waste of energy.
But evolving physical sensations gives you an opportunity to deal with this world more efficiently.
Though, your methods are good. I use them too.
Hi Sasha,
I know what you mean with “chewing gum”. It appears to be a waste of energy. But on the other hand I wonder: is it sort of automatic response of our body to environment we live in? Can we think of it as a disease? Or maybe its sort of defense mechanism (against too many sources of stress)? We usually think how wise our body is and self-healing. Why we do not extend this concept to our mental activity? This tendency its not of our doing. We do not make decision: “hey, lets from now on fixate our thoughts and worries around issues with job, romance, relationships etc.”. Rather, I think its involuntary response - which means our body-brain decides that our thoughts will have tendency to race. Question is whether its “normal” response or state of disease…
[QUOTE=Pawel;37012]Hi Sasha,
We usually think how wise our body is and self-healing. Why we do not extend this concept to our mental activity? [/QUOTE]
Good point. There certainly is some wisdom.
I think, this half-conscious mental moves stretch in the direction where [U]everything[/U] goes.
But involving clear will (or full consciousness) to this process lifts it to another level of efficiency.
‘Here and now’ relate with space and time. We become slaves of measured time and shared space, but really speaking, both are arbitrary. We create our own time on our scale. The incoming sense impulses are made linear to enter the brain and the images they carry are cognized ‘one after the other’, that becomes our sense of ‘time’. Each cognition has a context that defines ‘space’. Thus begins our relative time-space.
In meditation, when we slow down the cognitive process and eventually release awareness from any object-orientation, the images carried by sensory impulses pass-by without any linear registration. The absence of time and space results in a state of ‘Here and now’.
Theory apart, there is one way we can come close to experiencing it. While, concentrating on breath, become aware of thought that senses breath. Gently think of ‘not having any thought at all’. The thought of breath will rush in, but control thought will return too. Silently watch these two thoughts alternate. With practice of “let go” (and not concentration efforts) you will suddenly reach a delicate balance between the two thoughts and momentarily they will cancel each other and in that gap ‘here and now’ state will result. However, the moment you will become “aware” of it, it will be gone.
Here and now that is discussed in this thread, never happens in body consciousness. First of all, as Pawel observes, in ordinary perception we work on images and not objects, because of a few nano-seconds delay between sensing and cognizing. Secondly, the linear thought formation continues to create the ‘before-after’ time-space dimension. What creates a likeness of ‘here and now’ is a considerably slowed down individual scale of time-space as compared to the standard measurement.
[QUOTE=CityMonk;36988] What are the other techniques to stay totally present and focused on here and now?
[/QUOTE]
Zazen
[QUOTE=CityMonk;36988]
How do you pull your mind from the flow of thoughts back to the reality?
[/QUOTE]
I’m a not so good at this and it takes time and practice but basically do not focus on any thought, just be.
But to start sit, relax, maintain your natural lumbar curve close your eyes or just close then half way, and count slowly from 1 to 10. Or as far as you can get without a thought popping in to take your attention. If a thought comes in, and it will, go back and start counting from 1 and try and get to 10. If a thought does pop into your mind don’t focus on it, just observe it coming and going and them go back to 1. After you can get from 1 to 10 then count your breaths, again trying to get to 10. After that just sit and breathe, belly breathing.
This is not just one session this is several but after each one open your eyes and just sit and look and you will be surprised at how aware you are of the present moment
I tend to just look out the windows in front of me and look at the trees. It is rather amazing and quite nice
Staying in the here and now is a continual struggle for me as my mind is like a puppy darting back and forth in timespace. I employ this ‘second voice’ inside to keep the puppy calm, but not always successful at it. My wife and kids are almost used to it - Dad’s not it the room, only his body is.
It’s a real struggle because as a creative person a lot of that creative energy comes from the puppy bouncing about timespace and picking up tidbits from everywhere it goes. But, as an avid golfer I’ve found the sport provides excellent training in staying in the present. The breath work and mind work I am learning from yoga goes a long way in improving that. It has sometimes become the ‘second voice’.
Being in the here and now, to me is being mindful. They both go hand in hand. If one is not mindful, how can you be present in the here and now? While I’m not anywhere near perfect with my practice, I do find myself, chewing my food more. When I do I enjoy it more and it takes me longer to eat and that=taking in less food. I have become mindful when I walk in my garden, noticing things I never saw before. I give people my undivided attention. I use to be a multi-tasker, but not so much anymore. If I start, I think of being mindful. How can I enjoy what I’m doing if I’m doing 2 or 3 things at once. Those moments are lost forever. Like I said, I’m certainly not perfect at it, but it has really been a help to enjoy and be in the present moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh has many wonderful books on mindfulness.
[QUOTE=Pawel;37006]Recently I noticed I’m more and more skeptical about “here and now” concept (in context of being trapped in thoughts). Thoughts are happening here and now. So if I’m focused on my thoughts it means that I am present here and now. I’m in contact with something happening here and now.
.[/QUOTE]
So, what is qualified for “NOT here and now?”
[QUOTE=Pawel;37012]Hi Sasha,
I know what you mean with “chewing gum”. It appears to be a waste of energy. But on the other hand I wonder: is it sort of automatic response of our body to environment we live in? Can we think of it as a disease? Or maybe its sort of defense mechanism (against too many sources of stress)? .[/QUOTE]
Probably this “gum” is a result of stress + storage of unnecessary information, memories. For example, I was on the ship one day, and I remember every detail of the weather, people around me, atmosphere, food, my feelings, pieces of conversation, traces of smell, …etc.
I can start thinking about this with nor reason. The memory juts can activate these sensory, audio and other pictures. Why do I need this pictures while I’m driving or doing the dishes?
[QUOTE=CityMonk;37091]So, what is qualified for “NOT here and now?”[/QUOTE]
Strictly speaking - everything we experience is here and now and its impossible to escape this experience. Past is already gone. Future is not yet here. And all we have is this little area of space around us in one tiny moment which is NOW. Even if I think about past I’m not travelling in time - rather I am experiencing thoughts/memories of past - at the present moment and at this place I’m physically located.
[QUOTE=CityMonk;37092]Probably this “gum” is a result of stress + storage of unnecessary information, memories. For example, I was on the ship one day, and I remember every detail of the weather, people around me, atmosphere, food, my feelings, pieces of conversation, traces of smell, …etc.
I can start thinking about this with nor reason. The memory juts can activate these sensory, audio and other pictures. Why do I need this pictures while I’m driving or doing the dishes?[/QUOTE]
Interesting question… I like to think about such questions in evolutionary sense. So the answer would be something like that: in past development there was selection based on ability to think about different things related to survival/safety and sex (which in our times is work/money/happiness and relationships/sex) detached from physical activity actually performed. Humans with greater ability to think this way had more chances to find safe and prosperous places/activities and have babies. People who could only focus mental activity to close surroundings were disadvantaged. I think its the same for animals but in smaller extent - they also can access memories of good&bad things.
I guess this is how I would try to answer why this mental fixation/race happens. That this tendency is a part of our nature shaped by millions years of evolution. It may be harmful (like obesity which in fact is also a tendency passed by our ancestors) but there is a function to it.
I think I want to show more trust and respect to it (similar respect I show to my body, especially in yoga context) and often when I listen about “monkey mind”, “chewing gum” etc. I feel that I’m invited to abuse my mind (for greater good of course). Its like saying to newcomer to yoga class that he/she is a weak looser and has to exercise this ugly fat ass in order to be more calm and happy.
CityMonk, I guess these memories appear in your mind (as well as in mine and everybodys) because they are examples of clear mind episodes in our life. Scrolling them around is a chance for us to understand its nature and make it our permanent state.
As Bob Dylan sings:
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Pawel, some of this kind of terms you`ve mentioned are really offensive or at least tendentious, others affect like that only a few. Words cannot be universal (on my opinion). Those ones draw solid lines between mind states to show the difference.
Then awareness about it is analyzed and transformed into a delicate approach in practice.
well…can anyone give an example of not being here and now?
What if… insert fantasy here
I am sure that my wife and kids can tell you that I am repeatedly not in the here and now. Whole conversations will take place, and it is only when I happen to notice their mouths moving and faces red with rage do I return to the present to realize they have been speaking to me all that time.
Hi CityMonk,
I think the vast majority of people are not in the “here and now”. They are busy, busy, busy running the kids to practice, to appointments, out to dinner, then rushing back to do something else. The working mom and/or dad trying to juggle work, family, friends, social activities, meetings, grocery shopping, keeping up with Jones’s, Doctor appointments and the such. When is their down time? In front of the TV? That is not here and now.They don’t know now, because they live in the future. It’s ‘what am I doing next’ mentality. My mother is a good example. When we have gone on vacation with her she cannot relax and has to have every moment filled with something. When I ask her about this, she says she wants to see it all. I tell her, she has seen it all but has not appreciated it or enjoyed it. When we take vacations, we do little planning. We let the spirit guide us. We’ve never been disappointed. We’ve explored and seen so much. And we appreciate it.
Does this help with examples?
I think, I did give a reason why; at post #7.
In summing up, when we refer to or depend on any time-space specific references we bring in the past and when we innovate we bring in time-space yet to come. But, time-space that in human perception is compellingly relative, is a product of thinking mind. So, it is only by suspending the mind modifications that time-space collapse and ‘here and now’ prevails. This, is however not a normal, every-day happening. It is ability of a Yoga Master.
Another technical reason is a nano-second gap that separates the moment of sensing from the moment of cognizing and the fact that we process images that are removed from the objects themselves. This makes it further difficult where to place a marker as “here” in space and “now” in time.