What are some techniques that YOU use to live in the moment?

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   Relationshipcposted 11 years ago

   What are some techniques that YOU use to live in the moment?
   
   We all know that the only moment is now, and living in the moment can help us feel good, more alive, and grounded, but it is easier said than done to stop worrying about the future and thinking about the past.
   
   That said, what are some ways that you bring yourself back to the present moment?

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   David Morrisonposted 11 years ago

   What I do is drink alcohol until im tipsy. That way I won't be too embarrased to get loose and I won't do anyting i'll regret in the long run.

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      Relationshipcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hah. I find that I do more thing that I regret when I'm tipsy. Not sure how that helps you really live in the moment though? Although, it does allow you to do whatever you want in the moment.

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   Blond Logicposted 11 years ago

   I will sit quietly and watch the birds and the lake at our house. No matter what problems there may be, they disappear.

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      Relationshipcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would love to live by a lake. Yes, I can see how that would work.

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   PedroFernandesposted 11 years ago

   The most important thing is to breathe consciously!

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Breathing with awareness, consciously, is a helpful technique for staying present or returning to the Now.

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   MPG Narrativesposted 11 years ago

   I go for a walk and just enjoy my surroundings. Being outdoors helps me to stay in the moment and seems to make everyday pressures easier.

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      Relationshipcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, being outdoors is a great way to really be in the moment.

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   IDONOposted 11 years ago

   I'm not so sure that it's a "technique" as much as a change in overall thinking. But I'll try.
        I can remember and learn from the past. But I can't change the past and I'm not strong enough to drag old baggage around and expect to keep moving forward. So, I let go of any guilt or bad feelings by doing the best I can to make things as close to right as I can and then I move on.
        I make plans for the future, but not too far ahead and definitely don't plan the results. It only takes one tiny thing to change everything from that moment forward.
        I have realized that every thought, action and decision, (good or bad) is part of the process of where I am at this very moment. The same goes for planning ahead. Just about everything we do takes a series of steps and decisions to get to the result of that plan. Just going to the store for a gallon of milk takes hundreds of decisions. Those include which store. Should I wear a coat. Got to get the keys. Got to open the door. Got to walk through it. Got to close it. Goes on and on. If one thing is missed, forgotten or unexpected happens, that " Be back in 10 minutes" statement won't happen.
        The best example of my thought is, when they talk to a football player before a playoff game and ask him about going to the Super Bowl, he will almost always respond with, " I'm concerned with winning this game today, only. Because if we don't win today, there is no Super Bowl for us."  He's taught to think this way because if he's looking 2 games ahead, he's not looking at the one today.
        Everyday, we make thousands of decisions. I can't make that many correct decisions in 5 minutes let alone a whole day. I have no choice but to live in the now to even have a chance of being close at the end of the day to where I was hoping to be. And simply, there are way too many things that happen that I have no control over. So, there you go.
        I guess I should have wrote a hub, but I wasn't planning on this being so long.
        See what I mean?

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This brings the abstract idea of living in the Now into the 'concrete' of day to day life. You would still write a hub? You have good thoughts to share....

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   connorjposted 11 years ago

   
   
   Walks/jog-walks primarily with my Belgian Malinois (The Mollinator) around our neighborhood on the trails. Contemplation while around nature works for well me.

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      Relationshipcposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Love the pic!

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      connorjposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you significantly for this accolade. However, I hope my answer was selected for its worth rather than my affinity for hockey, the Rockies and the Canadian outdoors eh...

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   torrilynnposted 11 years ago

   I listen to music, I use to work out and feel an amazing burst of energy afterwards, I would go to this secluded park to clear my mind

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   janetwritesposted 11 years ago

   I spend time with my family. That's living in the moment for me.

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    Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

    
    
    Relationshipc, I started to ask a similar question today and found it had been asked before. Expanding on what I already wrote in the detail of my question:
    
    The term 'live in the moment' has been popularized by authors such as Eckhard Tolle and Ram Dass in their books 'Power of the Now' and 'Be Here Now.' But what does it really mean in daily life?
    
    On the surface, or taken literally, it seems to mean having no memories of the past or plans for the future. That is unrealistic, and there is much more to it, of course. I remember reading one definition of the Now, that it is not a point in time but rather a mystical perspective.
    
    For 13 years I have been practicing the art of living in the Now, and learning in the process what it means and what works for me.
    
    I was going to submit the question because I am interested to know the experience and ideas of others regarding living in the Present Moment.
    
    I think people can only go so far with the abstract concept as their experience and world view allows.
    
    For me, the best known technique that has had some value is to focus on conscious breathing as the Buddha taught.
    
    But just in the past two days, I had realizations that are new to me. Woke up this morning with words to write. Notes to myself on observations from my experience and what works for me. I practiced a new 'technique' when walking to the bakery, past other pedestrians in the town square. It carries the seed of something real, an effective way of living in the Now. With further practice, observation and development I will bring out more....
    
    Thank you for asking.

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