Best Present Moment Practice

by Stephanie
(Boston)

What do you think the most accessible and simple practice there is to be in the present moment without conditions, expectations or judgments?




Yogi Mir's Answer

There are many wonderful practices to be in the present moment: gardening, nature walks, yoga, dancing, wind surfing, and playing sports.

However, the most accessible and simple practice means that anyone can do it. Wind surfing is certainly not very accessible for most people.

So here it is. The simplest and most accessible practice of how to be present is mindful breathing.

Here is why:

1. Breathing is always in the present moment. It cannot be in the past or the future.

2. Mindful breathing can be practiced by anyone alive, even in a limited circumstance, like in a wheelchair.

3. One doesn’t have to ‘work’ to create the breath. The breath just happens. All we need to do is notice it. For example, a mantra has to be ‘chanted’ or ‘said’; a meditation image has to be ‘maintained’ in the mind’s eye; and a particular thought or idea has to be ‘cultivated’. The breath requires no such extra effort. If one can breathe, one can be present.