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 put on 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 were able to see 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 am not in the moment as much as I should be. I am a natural planner and am often thinking of the next thing I am going to do, and the schedule and logistics to get there. A lovely woman I met on the retreat told me the saying, as I was planning for that night's event, to "Be here now". I stopped in my tracks and took that in. Here we were, just arriving at the apartment that we would be staying at for the 4 days of the retreat, and rather than focusing on that unique wonderful moment and experience, my thoughts were focused on the logistics and plans for later. This woman saw that I was not 'in the moment' and brought me back there. It was quite a learning experience. Thanks, Denise!
I did fairly well at staying 'present' on that trip, appreciating everything that was new and exciting. However, on New Year's Eve, I was reminded again about being present while trying to capture the moment on my glitchy phone.
We were on the rooftop of a building that Lucas had rented out for our party. That night really topped off the retreat. After a wonderful dinner, we went to the rooftop, had moments of reflection and then got to party the night away. There were a few different firework displays around the city which we could see from our vantage point. When it turned midnight, I tried to screenshot that on my phone to capture the memory. I am a BIG picture taker and take photos to remember moments, but I was so focused on getting this screenshot, that I was missing the moment with all of these amazing people and beautiful fireworks. It was right then, I recalled Denise's advice "Be Here Now."
Being in the moment is still not something that comes easy to me. I am still a planner, but now I try to remember not to waste precious moments thinking about what is yet to come. I plan my day, and let it unfold as it does. However, part of my plan now includes appreciating the beauty, uniqueness, and wonder around me.
