To Be Here Now

“Be Here Now”, Ram Dass’s well known phrase, a reminder to return to the present moment. I find it to be more effective than simply reminding myself to be present. Be here now is a mantra to invite the mind back from the future it may be anticipating or imagining and from the rumination of past events. 

In sleepless nights, when I ruminate on something I said or an interaction that left me confused or hurt; I remind myself to be here now, I return to the rhythm of my breath, to the place I am in, and to the current state of my body, to my need for rest and sleep. 

When I am worried about all the things I cannot control: my inability to protect the ones I love or to control the outcome of a difficult situation, I invite myself to be here now. I remind myself that the future is never exactly how we imagine it will be. I tend to the fear within me with care and gentleness. ”Be here now” is an invitation to return to what is certain at the moment. 

It is not a quick or easy fix. On the contrary, it can return us to a state of mind where the absence of a loved one or the pain of the present moment cannot be escaped. Because the present moment can mean the harsh reality of the absence of someone we love, the reality of war and violence, and the reality of betrayal or abandonment. However, even in those difficult moments, to be here now gives us the strength, power, and ability to tend to the pain and suffering as it is present. We seek not to escape but to look at what is before us and to tend to its needs. The need of the present moment, though we may want to believe that it means providing that which was lost or giving it control over what’s coming, is the need of parts of ourselves that feel scared, anxious, sad or hurt to be seen, held, comforted, taken care of. And it is true that we may not always have the capacity to tend to those needs on our own, but being present to them gives us the opportunity to understand them and, if needed, to reach out to others who can help us in those difficult moments. 

The rumination on the past and the anxiety of what is to come are, unconsciously, a form of self-abandonment since they prevent us from focusing our attention and care on what is present and asking for our attention. In the present moment I can tend to my rage, my loneliness, my fear, but I can also notice the beauty, the gifts, the invitation to joy around me. To be here now is to be present to the opportunity to heal and the opportunity to experience life fully. 

The past cannot be changed, the pain of the past can be tended to in the moment it shows up. The future cannot be anticipated, but it can be built upon the foundations we lay in the moment. 

When I allow myself to return to the present moment, I know I have the capacity to listen to my most inner thoughts and needs. Then, I can be suddenly grounded and present to the only thing I have the ability to influence and change; the here and now.

I leave you with this blessing by John O'Donohue

For Presence | John O’Donohue

Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

Respond to the call of your gift and the courage tofollow its path.

Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.

May anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity ofsoul.

Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seekno attention.

Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.