There is a lot of talk about being in the present moment. But what does that really mean?
There is a deep connection that occurs while watching pets and babies as they fully engage in the moment. While playing with our new puppy, Mango, it occurred to me that joy lives in that moment. There is nothing from the past or the future that gets in the way of simply experiencing life in the present moment. I call this my ‘Mango Moment’.
Mango was so busy playing, it was impossible to get a photo of her. So I grabbed this screenshot from the video I was shooting. Capturing this still image in the middle of the flurry of playful activity, made me realize that a simple photograph brought me closer to understanding the present moment. It captures the stillness in the constant flow of life, like nothing else.
During my years of searching for the present moment, I went to great lengths looking for a still place on the beach, in the mountains, in my garden and so on. Then I realized that the present moment is not still at all. Present moments string together and flow constantly like water, air and even time.
Then I realized that the present moment is not still at all. It flows constantly like water, air and even time.
The key is to capture those moments of stillness within the flow. Capture the experience with our senses. Then let it go to make room for the next moment and the moment after that. There are many people that have different definition of what the present moment is. You need to find your own connection to it.
I find that photographs are powerful reminders of those individual moments. With photography, we can capture a present moment in an image and actually see time standing still. One could say that a photo is a portal that can transport us back to that exact present moment. Though, in fact, it would be a past moment a split second later. With photographs I am able to recognize and honour that previous present moment. I often use them to remind myself of the joy in the moment, then reflect, and maybe even heal through those moments.
I invite you to consider photographs as a way to develop a new understanding and relationship with the present moment. You can use photography to capture what’s meaningful to you and remind you to stay present in each moment.
Send me a picture of your present moment experience and it may be featured in one of my future blogs.