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Life Hack: Follow These 5 Steps to Be More Present In Your Daily Life

People are constantly seeking ways to better manage stress and feel more peace and happiness in their daily lives. The way we get there is to be more present.

Meditation and mindfulness practices are beneficial for cultivating more presence in our daily lives. But before we even address these tools, we need to address the main obstacle holding us back from staying present: our thoughts.

In order to become more present and more centered, it is important to first understand the mind and how it works.

Want to dig into mindfulness right away? Read: How Mindfulness Actually Works + A Practice You Should Try The Next Time You’re Feeling Off
 
 

First, Let’s Explore Exactly How Our Minds and Thoughts Work

Think of the formation of a thought as the functions of a computer. A computer consists of mechanisms of input (keyboard, mouse, touch pad), it has a processor (CPU), a hard disk to store information, and a display. Before a thought is formed, it needs an input.

Just like a computer, before an image or code appears on the screen, you must input something. We receive inputs through our five senses: hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell – all constantly being triggered by our environment.
 

We need to address the main obstacle holding us back from staying present: our thoughts.

 
The keyboard and mouse stand for our senses. They will receive input and this will go to the CPU. The CPU processes the information, and consists of the ego, intellect, and subconscious. After processing, an image will arise on the computer screen: a thought is created in the mind.

When we perceive something with our senses, when there is an input into our system, our human computer processes that input and creates a thought. Our mental processor consists of the ego, the intellect and our subconscious.

The state, or the programming, of these three factors is crucial to the output. So even if two people perceive the exact same thing through their similarly working senses, their thoughts about that thing will be very different.
 

Let’s Apply This Process

Imagine you walk by a bakery and you see (sensory input) a piece of chocolate cake in the display window. As soon as you see that piece of cake, your internal (and mostly unconscious) processes start.

The impression of the chocolate cake gets processed by your very own CPU (processor), which consists of ego, intellect, and subconscious.
 

  • The ego is the idea of the self. Your likes, dislikes and all other ideas about yourself
  • The intellect is your capacity to analyze
  • The subconscious is your memory bank. It stores all memories from your life. It even stores memories from when you were in your mother’s womb. We might not be able to access those memories right now, but they are always there

 
The ego might say, “I like chocolate cake.” After that, the intellect might tell you that you have money to buy the cake. Then the subconscious will chime in saying that last time you had chocolate cake it tasted very nice.

This happens in a fraction of a second, and upon seeing the piece of chocolate cake, the thought to stop and buy a piece of chocolate cake is created.

It can also go differently. Let’s say there it’s a strawberry cake instead. Again, the input will provide you with information. You will see and smell a strawberry cake.
 

 
 
The input goes to your ego and you know that you don’t like strawberry cake very much. Your intellect will say that you don’t want to spend money on something you don’t like and your subconscious will let you know that the last time you ate strawberry cake it was not enjoyable.

The thought is formed: “I don’t like strawberry cake, let’s leave it.”

These examples with the cake are highly simplified, but they explain the creation of a thought. Now, one thought will lead to another thought and another thought will lead to the next one. This creates a chain or bundle of thoughts.

Many thoughts are triggered by sensory inputs, but just as many are triggered by previous thoughts. This is an ongoing process, and anyone who has tried to stay without a thought – even for a moment – will have experienced how difficult this process truly is.
 

In order to become more centered and present, it is important to first understand the mind and how it works.

 
According to yogic understanding, this bundle of thoughts is the mind. The mind is not your ego, not your intellect and not your subconscious.

It does not have a physical location inside the body – it is simply the collection of all your thoughts. In order to control the mind, we have to learn to control the formation of thoughts.
 
 

Follow These 5 Steps to Be More Present In Your Daily Life:

So how do we go about controlling the formation of thoughts and being more present? Read on to learn how to control your mind and experience more presence.
 

1. Start at the Source

A thought = result arising from the inputs of the senses processed with the ego, intellect and subconscious. If we want to control the mind, we have to first minimize sensory inputs.

Then, we must learn to ignore the unnecessary inputs. We cannot shut off our senses but we can train ourselves to be less influenced by sensory input and less attached to sensory pleasures.
 

2. Move Past the Limitations

We must learn to let go of our attachment to our ego and our intellect. First, let go of the ego. Start by trying not to be too attached to ideas about yourself and others, and be open to new concepts and ways of thinking.

Learning to let go of the intellect means understanding the limitations of the intellect. Intellect is limited to what it already knows.

Wherever it does not have a previous connection, it cannot understand and analyze. So begin with becoming more connected to the present moment, not trying to analyze everything according to what you already know.
 

3. Take It Slow

You do not have to master this completely in order to see changes in your attitude and life. Just being aware of these concepts and working to apply them whole-heartedly will help you progress substantially.

After all, taking it slow is the key to being – and staying – present.
 

 
 

4. Apply the Practices

Now we can use the practice of meditation and Pratyahara (limiting the sensory input) to gain control over the mind. As in the computer, the image (thought) is caused by the sensory input, practicing Pratyahara will help you remove these distractions.

Meditation will help you stay more clear and detached from ego, intellect and subconscious.
 

5. Stay Mindful

You can start practicing meditation through the simple practice of concentrating on one object. Whenever you realize that you get distracted during your meditation practice, gently push the thoughts away and bring your focus back to your object of concentration (for example, the breath).

The more often you practice this, the more aware you will become of the fact that you are not your thoughts, and you can choose which thoughts to entertain and which to let go of.

Practice These 8 Simple Exercises to Infuse Your Day With Mindfulness
 
 

How to Be More Present: The End Result and Takeaway

After some time of practicing sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara) and detachment from your inner computer (ego, intellect, subconscious), you will feel more connected to yourself and the world around you.

You will be able to focus on what is important to you, rather than being distracted by all the sensory impressions that we are exposed to day after day.

Eventually you will become more present – the benefits of which will ultimately reflect in your every day life.

In order to become more present, more centered, and truly reap the fruits of your meditation practice, it is important to first understand the mind and how it works.

After all, the goal of meditation is to learn to control and focus the mind and stop the constant mental chatter. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is the cessation of movements of the mind (Yoga Sutras 1:2).

When you understand what the mind is, where it is, and how it works, you can attempt to start to control it in order to be more present – not only in your meditation practice, but in daily life as well.

 
 

Apply This Practice of Presence With Meditation!

Try our Tow Truck guided meditation with Yogi Bryan for a more peaceful, calm, and centered mind exclusively on YA Classes.

Meditation Class
With Yogi Bryan

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Yogi Ram

Born and raised in India, Ram founded the Arhanta Yoga Ashrams in India & in the Netherlands in 2009. He has trained more than 4,000 yoga teachers from all around the world. He has co-authored the book Hatha Yoga for Teachers and Practitioners which is currently being translated and published in multiple languages.

arhantayoga.org

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