Be here now.

In the past,

when I thought about being in the present moment,

I thought mostly about the time element of that concept.

Don’t live in the past.

Don’t worry about the future.

Just be in this moment and enjoy the time I am in now.

Recently though, as I am working to feel grounded in my new home, I have found myself focusing more and more on the second word of the phrase: HERE.

Be here (in this location, in this space) now.

Sitting in meditation it is easy for me to find calm while imagining the waves at my parent’s home crashing on the beach. Easy to feel peace in imagining the mountain retreats where I spent summers.

It’s easy to feel the silence of floating on a lake up north.

The practice, the challenge of focusing on here-ness allows me to

Be here with the clanging of the streetcar outside the yoga studio.

Be here with the bright moon through the skylight.

Be here with the changing leaves in the cemetery.

Be here with the ice cream trucks happy, tinkly song.

Be here with the cold air bringing tears to my eyes. 

Trees from my window.

Street trees.