The "Be Here Now" Experiment (Now, with updates!)

by Jenni Prokopy, the Editrix

Stress. It's everywhere, especially now. I'm feeling it, you're feeling it—if you're NOT feeling a little stressed out, you're in total denial.

Living with stress is so bad for you! I've studied Buddhist and Taoist philosophies for years, trying to adopt some of the practices that make the most sense in this modern life. The writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (I particularly love his book "Peace is Every Step") and Pema Chodron (she's my new favorite) have helped me get comfortable with the idea of "mindfulness," a way of living that hinges on the idea that you are present in every moment—that yesteday is gone, tomorrow hasn't happened yet, so it's best to be here. Today. Now.

be here now But it's so hard! More then ever, today we have a million things trying to take us away from the moment. Email, kids, boyfriends, school, work, friends, weather, car repairs, workouts, shopping, family drama, errands, bills, Facebook (and Twitter, and MySpace, and Flickr, and FriendFeed...argh!)...the list is seemingly endless. And of course, our illnesses, which are constantly trying to take us out of the moment and into Craplandia.

I continue to practice mindfulness because I know it helps. And at least once a day, I find a reminder to be present in the moment. But I would love to capture the essence on a more regular basis, be more present in more moments...and not so caught up in the "what ifs" that consume me.

So I was inspired, by an idea a reporter shared, to take a 30-day challenge. This is my challenge: to—in the words of Ray LaMontagne—Be Here Now. (I'm sure he's not the first to say it, but he's got this lovely song all about it, and that's where I first heard the phrase.)

I pledge to take some time every day to think about what it means to Be Here Now. (And: to listen to Ray's song for inspiration.) And I'll probably write it on my hand in Sharpie each day just to be sure I remember. (Hey, maybe at the end of the month I won't need that reminder!)

And I'll do my best to write about my experience frequently, hopefully every day, which I hope won't be too annoying. I'll try to find some good resources to share, and will be thrilled to hear your suggestions, too. I'll be doing all this on a new little blog: The Be Here Now Experiment.

Want to join me? It should be a fun experiment. If you want to participate—even for just a week, or a day—just shoot me an email telling me you want to join, and I'll send you back a little note with a couple questions, including a request for a photo of yourself that includes the phrase "Be Here Now." (You don't have to write on yourself like I do, dork that I am. Get creative!) I'll post the photos on the site and hopefully we'll inspire even more Babes to try the Be Here Now experiment.

Much love and respect, Jenni

P.S. I've been posting at the Tumblr, and we have a few Babes joining us, including Natalie. She says:

natalie is being here now

Part of "being here now" for me is getting out of my head and staying grounded. I spend too much time thinking about what's next, what am I forgetting, where do I need to be, what do I want to get done in the next couple days, and my head starts to feel like a scary mixed-up place. So maybe looking at my feet will remind me of where I am at that moment.

Amy joined us, too. Here's her story (plus a recipe I will definitely be trying!):

Cooking keeps me in the moment, especially if I’m trying a new recipe or the kind of hands-on baking that doesn’t allow for shortcuts or wandering attention. Peeling apples, pitting cherries, blending butter into flour with my fingertips— it’s impossible to do these things and check e-mail.

be here now, berries! This past weekend, I found strawberries on sale and decided to make jam for the first time. I stirred and stirred and stared into the pot, watching the sugar dissolve and thinking about nothing else but the smell of strawberries.

Fresh Strawberry Jam

1c sugar
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Combine the sugar, zest and juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until strawberries are quite soft and juicy. Stir often but gently. Mash the berries up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Dribble a little of the juice on a very cold plate (keep one in the freezer for a few minutes). If the juice gels, you’re done. If not, cook and stir a little longer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it all within a week (this will not be a problem).

nick is being here now And then Nick hopped on the Be Here Now bus, too. This club's not limited to the ladies! I love his sign, which he made just a few minutes before 7pm one night - sunset hour here in Chicago this time of year. How do I know what time he was coloring? Because the “now” in his rebus tells me. I adore the fact that the bee is sticking his tongue out. Here’s what Nick says:

I’ll tell you something—as I was coloring in the arrow with a marker, I actually broke into a smile, and I thought to myself, “This is great—I’m just coloring in a shape with a marker. That’s all, right now.” For a moment I was separated from various stresses and concerns. It also took me back to being 9 years old, when I would spend endless hours drawing with markers and listening to the radio. So, anyway, just the making of the sign worked for me!

joanna's shoes And then there's Joanna, a fellow ChronicBabe who joined us from her workplace: I work with kids on the autism spectrum, and each day brings new and different challenges... I love it. My message is written on elementary-school lined paper, sitting on top of my crazy jam-packed planner... but topped off with my pretty sparkly shoes. They definitely help to make any pain move to a back-burner, if only for a moment.

Chrissy just joined the Be Here Now experiment. Here’s what she says: With the Spring weather being so erratic I take every chance I get to be outside. My body does not always allow for me to go for walks or bike rides, so often I find myself laying on my fire escape. Here, looking up at the blue sky, and listening to the tinging of wind chimes I can be fully present without the distractions of e-mails or cell phones. It’s not the most scenic or beautiful place, but I still appreciate its value in my life and how it allows me to be mindful of the moment.

And then there's Michelle, who tells us:

michelle I didn’t even realize it at the time, but this was one of my first “Be Here Now” experiences. You can see it in my smile, my bare feet, the way my body is positioned. It was at Portland Head Lighthouse on the coast of Maine during the summer of 2008 that my boyfriend and I decided to take a three-day excursion. The day that we visited the lighthouse, all of my worries and fears and aches and pains seemed to cease. This was a comfortable place for me, a peaceful place, despite the fact that I had never been there before. I stopped obsessing over the fight we had had last night or the long car ride that we would have tomorrow or the fact that I’d have to go back to work soon or…

I just was. I remember climbing rocks and dipping my toes in the ocean. I remember walking on a trail and talking to other travelers. By the time we left, we had unknowingly spent hours there. For a non-nature-lover like me, this was huge. I had prepared for this moment (sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat which was taken off for the photo shoot) but all I can really remember about this day was an overwhelming sense of calm.

As a chronic illness sufferer, I am often forced to live my life in moments rather than experiences since it seems like each day is never wholly “good.” But this one was. I didn’t have a migraine, despite the bright sunlight, the heat, and the humidity. I wasn’t rushing to the bathroom, cursing my IBS. It was one of the best days of my life. For once, I was just there. And I want to learn how to be here now.

lindsay is being here now Lindsay joined us today (well, OK, a couple days ago but I got behind on email while I focused on other pressing tasks!) and she has great insight to offer:

Growing up with a chronic illness, you’d imagine I’d be awesome at it by now. I’m not. This past year as been one of my most difficult - not because of flare-ups, but because of the new balance I’ve had to create for myself as my mom battled breast cancer and I became a first-time mom.

I’m almost halfway through my maternity leave (here in Canada, we’re lucky enough to get an entire year off to get to know our babies) and I feel so much pressure to do things RIGHT. More and more, I’m realizing that my definition of ‘right’ needs to change, especially when my energy is limited. It’s so much more important to live in the moment - to enjoy time with my husband, my baby girl, my mom, my friends and family - than it is to have a perfectly clean house or a perfectly balanced made-from-scratch meal.

I’ve spent the last decade working at ad agencies, so I’m a master
multitasker (and thrive on stress and drama). Much of this year is
being spent de-programming, and learning to be present in each moment. When I play with Briony, I work at *just* playing (and turning a blind eye to the dusty baseboards a few feet away from where we’re lying on the floor). And you know what? It’s making my life so beautiful.

I want to become more and more deliberate with this effort, which is why I’m so excited to join the “Be Here Now” project.

j is being here now "J" is now also part of the project, a fellow ChronicBabe who knows what it’s like to live with illness - and the challenges it poses to our ability to be fully present throughout the day. Here’s what she has to say:

For me, “be here now” means getting out of my “headspace” and into “meatspace.” I am one of those people with an imagination, and who focuses too much on the negative, so between the two I’m constantly thinking about what could have been, or what I want to have happen - even if it’s not realistic. I’m also prone to depression, and being home for the past six months due to my lupus diagnosis has definitely not helped with any of these things!

“Be here now” means focusing on the things happening in the moment, as well as the good things in my life - not just wishing things could be different or wishing for things that can’t (at least at this point) happen.

ricky is being here now Ricky joined us recently, with a story that's truly inspirational. Here’s what she had to say:

I’m bedridden and have a computer mounted so I can use it in bed (there’s a photo on this page that shows the screen mounted above my bed). I spend a lot of time using the computer and doing internet related things - having the ability to do that is fantastic because I’m able to accomplish so much with the computer and net access, things I could never do without it. The computer and internet enriches my life hugely and without it I would have only radio/TV/CDs for company, not something I like to contemplate.

But on the other hand using the computer so much does sometimes lead to me almost forgetting where “here” is in a way! It’s like my mind ends up in the internet and doing ten things at once and I end up not getting anything done because switching between ten tasks is very inefficient.

So I’ve put my “be here now” on a sign below the computer screen and added a big arrow pointing down towards me. The photo above shows the view from my perspective: The green at the bottom of the photo is the bedclothes over my knees. So the sign is reminding me to be *here* - in my body, in this place and this time and not all fragmented inside the internet. The net is great, but there’s an importance to being *here* too.

Thank you very much for this project - I’m loving everybody’s stories and photographs.

I'm just so BLOWN AWAY by the terrific stories and photos all of you have been sending in. You're terrific! Keep them coming... this will continue to be an ongoing project. Much love, Jenni

Posted: 4/1/2009 in Inspiration

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The "Be Here Now" Experiment (Now, with updates!)