I was recently having a conversation with my son, who asked, “You often talk about being in the present moment. What is the purpose of this, I mean to say what benefit is it to be aware of this?” I replied, “You often like to take walks in nature. I assume doing this makes you somehow feel better as you seem to need to spend time from your busy schedule in this type of solitude. If you become more aware when you take these walks you will become more aware of who you really are and what you need to achieve more peace and happiness in your life. For instance, when you walk be aware of your physical body, and how it propels you forward. Feel your muscles, be aware of your breath etc. Also, be aware of your thoughts. Most have a stream of thoughts that masters call the “monkey mind”. This type of thinking takes you away from the present into the past or possible future. It is an unsettling place. As you become aware of the present you will find your thoughts start to give you direction into what you need to become peaceful. For example, as you take your walk in this aware state you may encounter someone else on the path. Let’s say this person snarls at you when you say hello and smile. An unaware person may continue on his/her walk subconsciously suppressing a negative emotion initiated by the other person’s unfriendly response. The aware person, on the other hand, may feel into what they are feeling, leading them to the insight that this encounter makes them sad. As they continue delving into their feelings they may discover that this sad feeling has its roots in how their mother treated them. They may recall a specific instance where this feeling first had a significant impact on them. This is the root feeling of this aspect of sadness. Once uncovered this root feeling along with all other strings of sadness associated with this root feeling tend to dissolve. This is an aspect of what I talk about when I say “energetic healing”. The best way to accomplish this is to be in the moment and be aware. Also, being aware of your physical body as you walk puts you into this present moment and gives you other insights into the physical nature of your being. You may really start to see and feel the beauty in the sky, clouds, wind on your face etc. It will definitely enhance the pleasure of your walks! All of this is tied together. Now what I have told you is simply an example. It doesn’t always work exactly this way, however being aware of the present always leads to insights about your life and your place in it.” Just some food for thought!