{"id":2161,"date":"2020-09-01T10:53:34","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T15:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.med.virginia.edu\/mindfulness\/?p=2161"},"modified":"2020-09-01T10:53:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T15:53:34","slug":"just-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.med.virginia.edu\/mindfulness\/2020\/09\/01\/just-for-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Just for Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Cawood Fitzhugh<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I read and understand more about this new \u201cnormal\u201d I am awestruck at the concept of impermanence. This exact time last year, I was on a plane for Quebec, Canada. \u00a0In just 2 hours, I landed in the beautiful city of Montreal, where I found myself wandering around this French-Canadian wonderland in large crowds of people.\u00a0 We were dancing, singing, and enjoying the outdoor movie creations. It was a creative celebration of Old Montreal\u2019s history through \u201cCite Memoire\u201d with original footage of the city shown on the sides of buildings while sharing headsets in both English and French. There were open air markets, beautiful museums, delicious croissants with wild caught salmon in crowded cafes.\u00a0 There were people everywhere, touching, talking, singing, laughing.<\/p>\n

I took a train afterwards from Montreal to Rhinebeck, NY to attend a conference. The train became more crowded with new people climbing aboard as it chugged closer and closer to NYC.\u00a0 There was much chatter and laughter as people conversed with one another. The concept of a pandemic was non-existent. We were all free to come and go as we wanted, when we wanted, and how we wanted.<\/p>\n

Yes, \u201cnow\u201d is a very different time from \u201cthen\u201d.\u00a0 Now, I have a deeper, respect for the meaning of impermanence and how very real a concept it is.\u00a0\u00a0 I realize now is the only moment I can really be sure of.\u00a0 \u201cThen\u201d no longer exists and \u201cwhen\u201d this pandemic will be over is unclear. \u00a0How does the \u201cnew\u201d normal look, feel, taste, act, in moving forward? \u00a0It\u2019s a sobering question and one fraught with a lot of emotion when I try to anticipate the future.\u00a0 What is a healthy way to show up to my life as it is now with this pandemic and whatever this \u201cnew\u201d normal is?<\/p>\n

A mindfulness attitude is Acceptance.\u00a0 Acceptance is seeing things as they actually are in the present moment.\u00a0 Another principle is Letting Be.\u00a0 In meditation practice, we intentionally put aside the tendency to elevate some aspects of our experience and to reject others.\u00a0 Instead we just let our experience be what it is and practice observing it from moment to moment. Letting go is a way of letting things be, of accepting them as they are.\u00a0 \u00a0For me personally, when I accept things as they are, I find more resolve and peace.\u00a0 I have more resiliency to bounce back and thrive.<\/p>\n

Here is a poem from Danna Faulds that seems appropriate as we all meander our way through this new normal.<\/p>\n

Just for Now \u2013 Danna Faulds<\/p>\n

Just for Now,
\nWithout asking how, let yourself sink into stillness.<\/p>\n

Just for now, lay down the weight
\nYou so patiently bear upon your shoulders.<\/p>\n

Feel the earth receive you,
\nAnd the infinite expanse of the sky grow even wider,
\nas your awareness reaches up to meet it.<\/p>\n

Just for now,
\nAllow a wave of breath to enliven your experience.
\nBreathe out whatever blocks you from the truth.<\/p>\n

Just for now,
\nBe boundless, free,
\nwith awakened energy tingling in your hands and feet.<\/p>\n

Drink in the possibility
\nOf being who and what you really are \u2014
\nSo fully alive that the world looks different,
\nNewly born and vibrant, just for now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I read and understand more about this new \u201cnormal\u201d I am awestruck at the concept of impermanence. This exact time last year, I was on a plane for Quebec, Canada. \u00a0In just 2 hours, I landed in the beautiful city of Montreal, where I found myself wandering around this French-Canadian wonderland in large crowds of people.\u00a0 We were dancing, singing, and enjoying the outdoor movie creations. It was a creative celebration of Old Montreal\u2019s history through \u201cCite Memoire\u201d with original footage of the city shown on the sides of buildings while sharing headsets in both English and French. There were open air markets, beautiful museums, delicious croissants with wild caught salmon in crowded cafes.\u00a0 There were people everywhere, touching, talking, singing, laughing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1202,"featured_media":1910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monthly-musings"],"acf":false,"yoast_head":"\nJust for Now - Mindfulness Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.med.virginia.edu\/mindfulness\/2020\/09\/01\/just-for-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Just for Now - Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As I read and understand more about this new \u201cnormal\u201d I am awestruck at the concept of impermanence. This exact time last year, I was on a plane for Quebec, Canada. \u00a0In just 2 hours, I landed in the beautiful city of Montreal, where I found myself wandering around this French-Canadian wonderland in large crowds of people.\u00a0 We were dancing, singing, and enjoying the outdoor movie creations. It was a creative celebration of Old Montreal\u2019s history through \u201cCite Memoire\u201d with original footage of the city shown on the sides of buildings while sharing headsets in both English and French. 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