The quieter you become, the more you can hear
—Rumi
Our thoughts sway us from the present moment. The thoughts can be desirous, hateful or ignorant.
When we bring our awareness to these thoughts, we experience a glimpse of a blissful pause: non-doing, non-reactivity, just being here.
However it’s seldom that we pause from our thoughts or draw awareness to them, drawing us to mindless action and speech, which ultimately weaving themselves into our daily habits.
Habits are good when they support our mental wellbeing and health: doing sports, meditation, being patient with ourselves and others, talking slowly and kindly.
Certain unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking and midnight snacking are the effects of mindless action. During such moments, if we cultivate a strong volition to pause, often times, we can liberate ourselves from these habits.
When we pause, we choose to be in the here and now. We bring our awareness directly to what is, not dwelling on past stories or anticipating future stories. We arrive at a noumenal reality.
Just like Buddha on the night before he became enlightened, touching the earth as a response to Mara’s last question, we too can touch the ground of the present moment to overcome our Maras (thoughts).
The present moment is always accessible to us like our breaths, we only need notice, slow down, pause from thought, take a deep nourishing inhale and a long exhale.
You come home to yourself, so that you can enjoy the here and now in every moment.
xx