How do you manage to live in the moment and let go of your thoughts?

To be honest with you… Is a every day fight, But that it works to me was use my common sense. Can you go back in time and change your mistake? Course not, if you broke a glass you cannot keep crying thinking that was the favorite glass of your dead father, you have to clean the mess. I would like to write good in English to explain my self in tell you what it worked to me. Because every person is a different world there’s no magic trick or an answer for everybody.

Do more, think less. When you’re in the midst of activity that requires your full (or even not so full) attention, those endless thought loops (What if…Should I…I wonder when…Maybe if this happens…Why did I do that…Why did I say that…) tend to take a back seat. Sitting around doing nothing other than thinking about yourself (something I’ve done quite a bit of) can really screw with your perception of… everything. Seek out stimulus, interact with the world, get your mind off yourself.

I agree with FutureMemory.. There is no point in being over indulgent in ones self thoughts. It can put you back behind the crowd. And you don’t want that.

Do more, think less…. mmm I don’t know about that. If you are not living the NOW is because SOMETHING is happening.

Valium

for me, I like to mediate. it really clears my mind and helps me focus on the present moment. I lay down on a mat, in a quiet room, breathe deeply inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth, for some minutes, while doing that u can feel ur heartbeats vibration (kinds like a pulse) on any part of your body if you focus your mind on a certain body part. so that’s only half of it- just keep a clear & relaxed mindset too. to me, the past is past all things said and done-its over now. the future comes soon enough, so I don’t tend to worry or stress out. its all about this present moment that creates the future.. and every step of right now coun

counts*

It’s a matter of training the attention. Attention can either be directed toward our thought world or toward the moment-by-moment unfolding of this world of experience. When the attention is on the thought world, then the world of immediate experience fades into the background; when the attention is on this moment’s experience, the thought world recedes into the background.

The tricky part is that the arising of thoughts is itself part of our unfolding experience of the moment. When the attention is on the moment, then we’re necessarily aware of this arising of thoughts. But if we engage those thoughts by turning the attention toward them, studying their content, they pull is into the thought world and away from the rest of experience. Sometimes we need to do this, but living in the world of thought as our default mode robs us of much of the richness of life.

The key, then, is to become aware of where the attention is and to learn how to redirect it. This isn’t easy. You could, as others have said, busy yourself with activities that keep your attention so occupied that you don’t get lost in thought, but that’s not going to help you in those inevitable moments when busy-ness isn’t an option. The alternative is to do the long, tough work of getting a handle on your attention. This is what meditation is all about.

There are lots of different forms of meditation, but one of the most common uses the breath as a way of keeping the attention on the moment. It involves sitting straight, without moving, and counting each exhalation until you reach “10”, then going back to “1” with the next exhalation. As thoughts arise, you acknowledge them, but don’t go examining them; just keep the attention on the counting af the breath and let the thought slip away. When you screw up the counting (and this will often happen), you simply go back to “1” and keep going.

Doing this for 20 minutes or more per day goes a long way toward developing an awareness of where the attention is and the ability to let thoughts slip away.

You’ll never get time back so actively look for something of value in each day be that a lesson (it doesn’t all have to be good and happy stuff because life happens, shite happens) some laughter, a shared physical experience, whatever. Just make it count.

I think through yoga and meditation and then practice, you can still your mind for periods of time and be truly “in the moment” anytime you chose to. I think of a dog. A dog is always “in the moment” – they don’t think about what happened yesterday or what might or might not happen tomorrow – they are just there enjoying that moment running or chasing a ball or being petted. For me, being outside in the mountains or at the ocean – it’s easy to be in the moment – just being and breathing.