Be Here Now

Be here now. 

I was lucky enough to travel to Barcelona for a yoga retreat at the end of 2016. It was the last four days of the year, and the gentleman who led the retreat made the whole experience amazing, from a tour of the city, a swim in the Mediterranean (yes, in December... it was cold!), a theater performance, a beautiful hike where we watched the sunrise over the city, and a New Year's Eve party, not to mention all of the physical growth and goal-setting we completed. Thank you, Lucas Rockwood at YOGABODY! 

While I was there, I became very aware that I’m not in the moment as much as I’d like to be. I’m a natural planner, and I’m often planning out the next thing I am going to do. A lovely woman I met on the retreat noticed this about me and offered a simple phrase as I planned for that night’s event: “Be here now.” I stopped in my tracks and took that in. 

We had just arrived at the apartment where we’d be staying for the four days of the retreat, and rather than soaking in the unique and wonderful moment, my thoughts were racing ahead. That one sentence brought me back. It was quite a learning experience. Thanks, Denise! 

I did fairly well staying present during the trip, appreciating everything that was new and exciting. However, on New Year’s Eve, I was reminded again. We were on the rooftop of a building that Lucas had rented for our celebration. After a wonderful dinner, we gathered upstairs for a time of reflection and then partied the night away. Several fireworks displays lit up the city skyline, and as midnight struck, I tried to capture a screenshot on my glitchy phone. 

I’m a big picture taker. I love using photos to remember special moments. But I was so focused on getting the perfect screenshot that I was missing the actual moment, surrounded by amazing people, with beautiful fireworks above us. And then I remembered Denise’s words: “Be here now.” 

Being in the moment still doesn’t come easily to me. I’m still a planner. But now I try to remember not to waste precious moments thinking about what hasn’t happened yet. I plan my day and let it unfold. And part of that plan now includes noticing the beauty, the uniqueness, and the wonder around me. 

Be. Here. Now. 

Focusing is like a muscle that needs to be strengthened.
The more we choose to be in the moment, the easier it becomes to appreciate our experiences, feel more joy, and deepen our overall happiness.