Be Here Now, How Fear of the Future Has Been a Medicine Block

First and foremost I am so grateful to @bewithbreath for hosting a lovely mediation last week and for @porters for commenting on my post which reminded me to join the meditation 😃

I've been reflecting a lot and the @naturalmedicine Medicine Block Challenge was the perfect nudge I needed to think about myself and the dreams I am working to achieve.

Check out more info about the challenge and the first set of winners here:

https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@naturalmedicine/medicine-blocks-challenge-still-a-week-to-go-for-a-chance-to-win-tokens-and-up-to-60-steem-due-date-nov-15th

I took this photo because I was feeling very stuck at the time. Things came to a head on last Friday and I acted out of character and felt myself slip into victim hood and comparing and feeling sorry for myself.

I know this isn't who I am or what I believe, and the lack of sleep, lack of time for self care, and going hard from the minute I wake up until I can finally try and sleep. That being said, I can do this! There is a plan with everything, this may be challenging and every challenge in my life has helped me learn and grow and be stronger.

I finally had to accept that I need to be here now. Truly all I can do is focus on the present moment and focus on my breath. The meditation last weekend with @bewithbreath was the perfect reminder of that. I love how he always assures us it is normal to have wandering thoughts and to just come back to the breath.

Part of coming back to the breath helps me to focus on gratitude and the many blessings I do have. Many times I start worrying about the next thing on the todo list and a pile of what if's in my head. And as simple as it sounds it comes down to being in the moment. Immersing myself in the present moment and feeling what's here now.

Wow this is much more challenging than I thought, I can stay in the moment for generally about 5-7 seconds 😅

I read the Ekhart Tolle's the power of now, and at first it really seemed to hit home, and as soon as I'm not reading I'm back to racing around.

So here are some tools I have gathered to help cultivate mindfulness and staying in the moment.

Stop, pause and look around. Pay attention to your surroundings. What better way to be there than to observe where you are on this physical plane.

Second, find gratitude in these surrounding. I return to all the many blessings we have like heat, running water, hot showers, food everywhere. So many people have to struggle just to eat. I am not minimizing anyone's suffering, it just helps me to focus on gratitude even if it is for the simple things. Those are some of the most important things.

Color! Yes, you hear me, draw, color, create. Coloring for me is somewhere I get to stop having to think and can just focus on the lines and the pictures and colors. I've found this is a great way to bring myself out of suffering and to the present moment. It is so freeing to be able to just let go of the day and just focus on the lines. Creating is a wonderful way to bring joy and mindfulness to your day.

Stretch as a meditation. I like to start to meditate, do a body scan notice where I am stiff and then stretch, I learn into the painful parts stretch and try and be present in the moment, in my body.

Singing in the shower and dancing when I feel like it. I feel singing and dancing brings out the inner child in many of us. Want to see someone in the moment? Look at the way children look at the world. Try and find your childlike wonder again.

Meditate with @bewithbreath and the @naturalmedicine family. It is absolutely incredible and life changing.

I am really working on all of these things in my life right now and hoping by doing this challenge and writing them down I can shift my energy and be more present for my kids and all the people who I am surrounded by.

Lots of love Steemians grateful for all of you 💜💕💙🙏🏻