Living in the Present

Search
winter flower and sunshine
Learning the Wisdom of Now
Wanting to live in the present is something many people find frustrating. They are told that life renews itself in the present moment, that the burden of the past disguises the joy that is always available in the present. The problem is that these lovely promises are hard to translate into personal experience. You need to probe a little deeper to see what is really needed. There is wisdom in the now that isn’t revealed to the mind.

More Articles

Woman doing a breathing exercise at home on a yoga mat
Meditation

A Meditation for Healing Heartbreak

At some point in our lives, most of us encounter a time where we are forced to navigate the complexities of a broken heart. Heartbreak in all of its forms is an incredibly emotionally taxing experience and one we never feel quite prepared for. Whether it’s a breakup, losing a loved one, or separating from a friend, the grief that comes with heartbreak can feel overwhelming and all-consuming at times.

Gabrielle Marchese
Parent holding baby in nature
Personal Growth

Parenting as a Spiritual Practice

If you want to change the world, become an activist. If your goal is inner peace, become a monk. If you wish to know yourself, become a parent. Raising children uncovers aspects of a parent’s nature that otherwise might remain latent. A cooing baby is likely to reveal unfathomable depths of love while a defiant teenager has the potential to expose equal measures of anger. From proud to humbling moments, parenting is a sure way to acquire knowledge about oneself. When such knowledge is approached with the intention of personal growth, it has the potential to purify, awaken, and perfect a parent’s character as reliably as any self-development program.

Erin Easterly
Happy woman enjoying the sunlight with her eyes closed surrounded by palm trees
Meditation

Harnessing the Power of Om for Inner Peace

For most people in the West, chanting "Om" is a practice that's typically reserved for the beginning or the end of a yoga class. As this chant fills the classroom with beautiful resonance, you may notice a subtle shift in your state of mind. For many people, chanting Om brings about a sense of peace and relaxation, moving you from "worries and to-do's" to a state of inner calm and groundedness – but what's happening inside your body that creates this shift?

Emily Ziedman
Portrait outdoors of a young Black woman smiling at sunset
Yoga

Embodying Gratitude Through Asana

Coming to my mat has always been a space to surrender, a space where I take time to connect with myself. It was on my mat that I first learned what it felt like to embody gratitude as a way of being rather than an external expression. So frequently gratitude is expressed outward, where we thank those around us or recall the things we feel blessed to be surrounded by. External practice is a deeply valuable and important mode of the expression of gratitude, and a practice of gratitude can be so much more.

Daniel Sannito (they/them)