Present Moment, Wonderful Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh

    In our busy society, it is great fortune to breathe consciously from time to time. We can practice conscious breathing not only while sitting in a meditation room, but also while working at the office or home, while driving our car, or sitting on a bus, wherever we are, at any time throughout the day.
   There are so many exercises we can do to help us breathe consciously. Besides the simple "In-Out" exercise, we can recite these four lines silently as we breathe in and out:
                     
                                   Breathing in, I calm my body.
                                  Breathing out, I smile.
                                  Dwelling in the present moment,
                                 I know this is a wonderful moment!

  "Breathing in, I calm my body." Reciting this line is like drinking a glass of cool lemonade on a hot day- you can feel the coolness permeate your body. When I breathe in and recite this line, I actually feel my breath calming my body and mind.
    "Breathing out, I smile." You know a smile can relax hundreds of muscles in your face. Wearing a smile on your face is a sign that you are master of yourself.
     "Dwelling in the present moment." While I sit here, I don't think of anything else. I sit here, and I know exactly where I am.
      "I know this is a wonderful moment." It is a joy to sit, stable and at ease, and return to our breathing, our smiling, our true nature. Our appointment with life is in the present moment. If we do not have peace and joy right now, when will we have peace and joy- tomorrow, or after tomorrow? What is preventing us from being happy right now? As we follow our breathing, we can say, simply, "Calming, Smiling, Present moment, Wonderful moment."
   This exercise is not just for beginners. Many of us who have practiced meditation and conscious breathing for forty or fifty years continue to practice in this same way, because this kind of exercise is so important and so easy. ( Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life)




   This is an amazing practice and highly recommended for anyone looking to add substance to their life. I sat outside in my garden yesterday practicing being in the present moment and it was unbelievable. The warmth and richness you feel by silently reciting the simple lines above and just opening yourself to the world is priceless. Being outside in the garden with the warmth of the sun on my skin, the sounds of wildlife chirping and fluttering about and the mind at ease. Give it a try..It makes all the difference:)