Live In The Moment

We’ve become a nation that live in the past or the future, rarely do we enjoy the moment we are in, the present.

What am I doing next? What if I didn’t do that yesterday? I’m dreading that meeting tomorrow. I can’t wait until I go on holiday in 5 months. What shall I make for lunch this weekend? I shouldn’t have chosen that.

Ruining the moment with what could be…

I noticed this recently through something seemingly insignificant, when I posted a picture about the lovely weather that I was enjoying. It had been unusually cold in Malta the previous few days and my body reacted very badly with severe pain, chilblains and even going into hyperthermia. So when the sun came out the next day, I was relieved that my body could have a break! But to my surprise, the comments on this post were along the lines of the fact it wouldn’t last. I found myself getting quite angry at this. Yes, the weather will change again as it does, I may be in pain again the next day, but at that present moment, I was relishing that I wasn’t struggling. Why would I ruin that positive feeling by worrying about it changing in the future? More importantly, why would people not just let me enjoy it?

The futile stress of the past…

We also live with a lot of regrets and “what if’s?”. Reality is that we cannot change things that have already happened. I find myself doing this a lot and become very hard on myself with choices I’ve made. When going through difficult times on my own in Malta, I could regret my decision to move and leave a life I loved behind, especially as my condition hasn’t improved as we thought it might. But I’m here now, so if I change that mindset, I can make the best of what is actually a pretty amazing experience with a lot of opportunity. What good is it to beat myself up with negative self-talk?

You’re unique…

I found that I have naturally brought this into my Pilates teaching. We constantly compare ourselves to others and I see clients do this within a class, I’m also often asked; “how many?”, “how long for?” etc. I rarely give these guidelines, but more cues for your body to know when YOU should push on or to stop. This requires focus and awareness, I can tell when a client isn’t focusing on what they are doing in that moment, as their balance or form with be off.
You are with your own mind and body 24/7, and it’s an incredibly piece of machinery. There are so many ever-changing rules, so much dictating us day-to-day, when actually, all you need to do is listen to and work with your own self!