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Article by Ken Dyers
NOW - Living in the present moment

Between the moment that has just slipped into the past, and the approaching moment which lies in the future, is the present: That which is happening now. In this present moment exists your opportunity to experience life as it occurs.

Everything that happens, happens in the present moment.

Are you in the present moment?

That depends on what you consider you to be.

Life is physical, and the present relates to the point in time where your body is now. The physical body can only ever be in the present moment.

Spiritually however, you are not the body and your spiritual consciousness can include past, present and future. You might repeatedly experience the past in an attempt to understand something that confused you. You might even live with your attention tied up in the future. However, if your consciousness does not include the present, you are less able to see and embrace the opportunities that are available to you in the now; the present moment.

To the degree your consciousness is fixed in the past or the future, you are unable to experience the present.

The present moment is happening now.

Whether you experience it or not, the present is happening continually. It is the moment where the human spirit can contribute to the heartbeat of life as it takes place. It is where all communication and positive change occurs.

The past contains previous experiences, from which we can learn and gain wisdom. But we are unable to change what happened even five minutes ago, because the ‘present moment’ when we could have acted, has already moved into the past.

We can also perceive the future and create spiritual postulates, paving the way for something to happen at a later time. But the creation of this spiritual intention must take place in the present moment in order for its future outcome to manifest. Everything that happens, happens in the present moment.

How can we include the present in our consciousness?

With the pace of modern life and the speed with which the future rushes towards us, including the present moment in our consciousness can be challenging. If we are not vigilant with our attention, the present moment can go by unnoticed - possibly for years at a time. Our attention can be so completely invested in what we are trying to achieve (the doing and the being), that we can miss experiencing what's actually taking place around us now.

If you put your spiritual consciousness (awareness without thought) on what is physically occurring now, you will become aware of the present moment. To do this you will need to–

1. Withdraw your consciousness from what you are currently doing.
(Thinking, working, planning, reading, exercising etc.)

2. Withdraw your consciousness from what you are currently being.
(A mother, a teenager, an executive, a man, successful etc.)

3. Apply your consciousness to experiencing the physical moment.
(The obvious physical senses - sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. And the more subtle spiritual perceptions relating to the energy and intention in the moment and the appreciation and understanding of the physical laws of cause and effect)

When we experience physical life as it is happening, our relationship to the bigger game of life again becomes apparent, and therefore our ability to contribute increases. Effective meditation will help with this. The real joy in life exists in experiencing the moment - this is also where the human spirit resides.

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