The moment.

That heavenly place that exists in the space between your past and your future.

It lives only for a fleeting mini second before you realise it, and it has too become a part of your past.

The moment is your here and now. It cannot be analysed, dwelled upon or manipulated. It just is.

It’s where you feel alive and fully aware and alert.

In the present, you are on.

To actually live in the moment is not so easy though. I’m sure you have discovered this already! Our mind is incredibly clever at pulling us back into our past and all the experiences and memories that have already been. If it’s not toying with the former, it is often nose-diving us into the future into that space where we predict and foresee what is to come.

Future tripping somewhat? Anxiety at an all time high?

Both tactics achieve one thing: They keep you living outside of the moment.

So then, what does it actually mean to live in the present moment?

Grounded into this very moment, where you are right this very second allows you to… Live spontaneously, speak your divine truth, feel abundant heart-felt love

Living in the moment is simply a state of absolute freedom.

No more fear, doubt or stress. You are just here.

When I am living in the now I feel excited, happy and passionate. I am completely immersed. I am aware of what surrounds me; the space, colour, light and sound.

It is in the present where I feel the most. Whether I am standing in the rain, lying on a beach, driving with the music-high and windows-down. I feel everything.

When I think of living in the moment I am reminded of being a young girl staring up at the sky high above me and spinning around and around in circles thinking of nothing else but the moment. The wind in my hair and the grass below my feet. I remember feeling completely in love and loved up in return.

This is what the present moment offers us. Love.

When we backtrack to the past or leap forward into unknown, love is at a distance, but when we sink deep into what currently exists, love is abundant and all encompassing.

How can you live in the moment?

Surrender.

Have you got a tight grip? Then let go. There is nothing to control, nothing to worry about. Everything is exactly as it is meant to be in the moment. Learn from it. Be grateful for your past for bringing you to your here and know that your future is an exciting adventure yet to be embarked on.

The best way to surrender? To meditate of course!

Sitting in silence or perhaps a guided track. Whatever best serves you in the moment.

Practice gratitude.

Each day I take to my journal with a pen and free write everything I am grateful for in this life. Some days I am more grateful than others, but every day I can think something I am thankful for, from the small and precious, to the large and grandiose.

When you think of what has filled you up with joy that day, try and be specific. Give the details. Sink back into that feeling. This is when you laser focus your gratitude muscle and the Universe knows to serve you more of the same.

Connect with nature.

I go and stand on the ocean’s edge most days to ground and re-centre. The sound of the waves crashing at my feet immediately reminds me I am alive and that everything is ok.

Take a walk among the trees, listen to the birds as they sing their song, take your shoes off and feel the sand or grass between your toes.

Be spontaneous.

Another way I practice presence is by being spontaneous and saying yes to opportunities and invitations that are different and out of the ordinary. Random acts of kindness, cooking a new and delicious recipe that will tantalise the taste buds, taking a trip to somewhere completely new, signing up to that African dance class, having that coffee with new girl at your work.