A quote by Lao Tzu really spoke to me yesterday, "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
Definitely, easier said than done, I know. But what if everyone could just for a moment, just be. That would be wonderful! Again, it's not an easy task for everyone, especially when you got a lot going on such as work, school, kids, family, bills, fun, etc.
Whenever I find myself anxious, depressed or in a fearful state, I try to remember to do the following:
1. Stop and breathe. If possible, I find a space to be alone (even if it's in the bathroom!). I stand or sit and feel my feet touching the floor and wiggle my toes. Then I work my up to my legs, hips, abdomen, chest, arms, hands, and all the up to my head. From there I take a nice, deep belly breath. If I'm overly anxious, my chest area may be tight, so I give myself a few breaths until I can reach my belly. Rushing just makes it worse!
2. After I feel more grounded and in my body, I think of something that IS working in my life NOW. For example, I just leased a car; got a yoga teaching job; made a friend in dance class; or even getting laundry done.When we get anxious, we tend to go (as the quote says above) way ahead into the future and create a catastrophe or chaotic situation that we don't really want to happen anyway; if X doesn't get done, Y will happen. So shoot for what you DO want to happen!
3. If none of that works, I call a friend, a Life Coach, or someone that I can trust. This isn't always easy for people either, because if you knew me well, in the past, I thought I had to figure everything out on my own. Sometimes if we can't find a solution because we're too much in "our stuff" or our heads about something, it's great when an outside person can help reframe it for you and offer support. Dwelling on the problem or situation isn't going to get you anywhere. We tend to self-judge and be hard on ourselves.
When we are present, everything is clear. That doesn't mean it's always a happy time. But if we can allow ourselves to be more present with the situations, feelings and experiences at hand, all the uncomfortable will pass more quickly and with ease. We will be able to get to that joyful state faster because we've allowed ourselves to just be and nothing else. Just at home within ourselves.
Do you find yourself dwelling somewhere in the past that's holding you back from what you want now? When something comes up, do you automatically jump to the worst case scenario and get stuck there? What do you do for yourself to come back to the present moment?
