Spiritual Warrior Training: Lesson Six
SAVOR THE PRESENT
by Janet Glass, MA

This is the sixth installment in a series of articles sharing practices and attitudes conducive to walking the path of a Spiritual Warrior. A spiritual warrior is a person who is learning to walk this human journey embodying spiritual principles as practice. The reward is a more conscious, peaceful, integrity-filled life.

“Yesterday is ashes, tomorrow is wood, only today does the fire burn brightly.”
~ Native American proverb

How would you like to take a relaxing vacation? Sounds easy so far, doesn’t it? Vacations can be aimless spaces in time we gift ourselves, where we remove our watches, breathe in deeply and let go of it all. It is only in these moments that we remain uninterrupted by the to do list, the shoulds, and the dreary details of everyday life. Vacations give us permission to ignore the everyday chatter filling our heads, allowing us instead to wander into the world of dream and fantasy. Remember the last time you just let go of time and sat out in nature, nothing to do and nowhere to go, relaxing into nothingness. Oooohhhhh…I can feel it now--the release, the rest, the ease of the body. I am reminded of my annual vacations in Maui where my husband and I slip into island time, sincerely practicing the fine art of doing nothing. Savoring the present moment is easy when we’re on vacation; the challenge is to learn to apply this form of “time-shifting” to our everyday lives. It is probably one of the greatest challenges a Spiritual Warrior faces, requiring constant vigilance and commitment to Self, yet once mastered you will find it is ultimately the most life changing practice you can enjoy.

Where is your attention most of the time? Are you fully experiencing the present moment, the now of your life? Or are you reliving the past, allowing your attention to wander backwards in time, reviewing old scenarios, energizing old wounds, all the while wallowing in regret and guilt? Or perhaps you spend your time worrying about the future, projecting the worst possible scenarios, generating fear and anxiety at every level of your being. When we allow our minds to focus on the past or the future, we relinquish our experience of life in the present. Learning to master the art of time-shifting transfers us fully into the present moment, where we belong, for the past and future truly do not exist except in our minds. When we exist in the present moment, all regrets disappear; anxiety and worry fade into nothingness. Making the conscious choice to honor the present moment, whatever that moment brings, is the art of time-shifting.

As we move out of the reality of our mind, we inevitably begin to experience life with our senses. As quantum physicist Fred Alan Wolf attests, “From a quantum physical point of view, there are two complementary ways of seeing. The first way involves our intellect, our thinking and sensation functions. The second involves our heart, our feelings and our intuitions.” Each time we arrive in the present moment, we open to the realm of the heart, shifting our sense of the world both around and within us. Through this practice we easily bridge our inner intuitive nature and hear the wisdom of our bodies. What would happen if instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, we began to be grateful for what we do have in the here and now?  By cultivating a sense of perfect presence, we can attain a non-judgmental stance from which to view life.  As we relax into full acceptance of what is, we are provided a much-needed respite from the stressors of the external world. Gratitude emerges as we open our perceptual heart, immersing ourselves in the beauty of our surroundings and honoring our true feelings. We can also watch the antics of our habitual minds from a more objective, distanced perspective. With this practice, we can come to know ourselves through a deeper level of consciousness.

The key to time-shifting is to realize that this state of being is ever-available to us, should we choose it. We must, however, make a conscious shift in our awareness. Spiritual Teacher Eckhart Tolle invites us to make it our practice to withdraw attention from our past and future whenever we can. He asks us to step out of the time dimension as much as possible in everyday life and honor our connection to all energies present in the moment. Where do you live? Will you choose to be here now?

Dancing Lesson for Your Soul
Take mini vacations from your life each day. Stop every so often and ask yourself: Where is my attention? Is it in the past, future or in the here and now? Gently bring your awareness, with all your senses, into the present moment. Notice how easy it is for you to enjoy the world in this new and energizing way.

Janet Glass, MA is a spiritual counselor, dedicated to helping you transform your life from the inside out. www.visionkeeper.com janet@visionkeeper.com.