Mindfulness and the passage of time

How often have we looked at the date and been surprised at how quickly the year has gone?

As we move towards the end of the year, it becomes more and more a part of our conversations – “I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas again!” You know it’s really going fast when someone tells you just how few weeks there are until Christmas!

When I hear this, my thoughts go to how quickly my life is passing me by and I am merely an observing it as it passes. If time goes so quickly I will be in my 80’s without really knowing where all those years have gone!

But time is still time and will always pass in the seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks that it always has. Not going slower or faster, always the same.

The learning I have received about making the most of time has come about as a result of the studying the skills and theories of Ontological Coaching. This looks at how our language, emotions and physiology create the world around us according to how we believe the world exists for us.

This study has drawn me to the theory and practice of mindfulness – it’s scientific, emotional and spiritual elements. My definition of mindfulness is developing the ability to be fully engaged in the present moment, while being aware of what is going on for us emotionally and physically. Developing this awareness makes it possible to not be overcome by our emotions and to be able to listen to our body and what it is telling us. We can accept what is happening inside us and be able to positively manage our language and behaviour.

I began to think very deeply about where I was at with being in the moment and I realised that I was often in the past or future and rarely actually in the moments that my life is made up of.  I was allowing life to pass me by at such a rapid rate and not seeing how precious each moment is. Have you ever been in a train or car when it was going fast and watching the scenery just whizz by without really seeing it? Instead, if you give your attention to a single point of scenery and look at it until you have passed it, you are actually seeing it. It isn’t just a blur. This is a bit like what I see mindfulness as being.

A simple way to develop mindfulness – stop and take a deep breath and feel your breath going deep into your lungs and stomach. Breathe out very slowly, feeling and hearing your breath as you exhale. Do this 3 times. Often this is all it takes to bring you back to present moment.

If we develop the ability to be mindful in our everyday lives, the moments in life that we experience will allow us to feel that we are getting the most out of our life. Then the concern that life is passing us by so quickly will become less frightening.

Until next time…………..after many precious moments……..