practicing to be present

I am part of a small on-line forum on contemplative life. Have a read of this quote over at Onehouse. It's a long post, so go over there and read it.

Oh my, that quote really hit home. I am one of those who is seduced by thoughts of more exciting things over there, greater ideas over here, a more glamourous life over in Europe (Asia, Africa, etc). The idea of choosing to stay in one place, not because I have no where else to go, but because it is where I need to be right now, is liberating.

One of the habits I've picked up (don't know whether it is family, culture or both), is living forward. What will I be doing tonight? Where might I be next year? How do I react right now so that I become a better Christian/lawyer/person. When I think about being present right here and now, all the burden I feel of performing seems to lift. I practice yoga weekly and one of the greatest gifts of yoga, in my opinion, is being present right at that moment in time. Doing the posture so I can be in touch with my body as it is today, not doing the posture so I can eventually do it better. On the risk of going on a tangent, I think Buddhism does this better than Christianity. What I'm realizing through this group, is that this present-ness, to coin a word, is in Christianity too - just not in the modern, western, evangelical strain.

Shalom to all. It has just finished pouring with rain here. I love it.