Practice the Art of Being

I was trying to think of something to write this morning for this blog. The thing is, nothing was really coming. That’s when I realized that life doesn’t have to be about always doing. There are times when just being is enough. We all need to be reminded that the art of being is an important one.

I started the practice of yoga some years ago and one of the things that I most enjoyed was simply learning to be. It didn’t matter if I was in meditation or doing postures, the art of being was a very enjoyable experience.

What can you gain from this practice, this art?

• Calmness.
• A sense of your own existence.
• The joy of the moment.

Calmness. You find a sense of calmness in the art of being. Why? Because you begin to realize that whatever your situation, you have everything you need to exist. Do you have money to pay the bills? Maybe not. Do you have the partner you always wanted? Maybe. Those things may be what you want, but what you need to exist, air, a heartbeat, a functioning mind, those things are yours. The rest can be dealt with!

A sense of your own existence. Now this is similar to the first one, but at a more physical level. Right now, can you feel your left ankle? Can you? I bet you never give that left ankle a thought during the day. What about your tongue? How does it feel in your mouth? You get the idea. You begin to notice how it feels to be you in this particular moment. Your body and your emotions are part of who and what you are right now.

The joy of the moment. Now this builds on the other two. I can hear you saying, “But I don’t want to feel this way! My boyfriend/girlfriend just left me and I am miserable.” Sure, but think about it, the pain you might be experiencing is much better than not being able to feel at all. You may not think so at the right now, but what if you had very limited brain ability and you could never experience love, hate, or anything else? Would that be a tragedy! You have physical pain? I understand it is not fun and there are times when you wish you could not feel it, but would you rather be numb from the eyebrows down? I don’t think so, not seriously!

The art of being means that you don’t have to be doing something each and every moment. It means that you can simply be, and that is enough. If you are engaged in some activity, then you can learn to fully enjoy it.

Practice the art of being and see if it doesn’t enrich your life. I know it has mine!