When I first named this blog and newsletter Ki Moments, I had just a general idea of what I meant by it. In my CD, Simple Gifts: Making the Most of Life's Ki Moments, I clarified the concept for myself. I wrote:
Ki Moments are those moments in which you are fully aware of your life force and your ability to influence your environment.
I still like this as a working definition, and the phrase "this... ki... moment" has come to mean more.
For example, I separate the words with ellipses (...) to make me stop and actually place myself in... the moment, because I've come to realize each moment is a ki moment. This is a work in progress as I tend to rush through these... ki... moments as if one moment is just a means to get to the next.
Examples of ki moments I almost always miss:
- Brushing my teeth (What would happen if I slowed down and used this twice-a-day ritual to practice
presence?)
- Taking my vitamins (Eager to get to breakfast I miss this daily opportunity to be present to the moment.)
- Meditating (Yes, even here. Talk about a "work in progress"--read my 2008 post "Hurry Up and Meditate" for more ways to slow down.)
Another way the phrase has expanded for me is that the Japanese word "Ki" is usually translated as "energy", "power", or "universal life force" -- the stuff we are made of and that we are always and everywhere extending and receiving from others.
On my newsletter and website, I use the slogan "Support for life's 'key' moments..." to help readers understand how I use the word and how to pronounce it. This constant association between "ki" and "key" in my writing and my thoughts--as in: "Each moment is a 'ki moment' or "Make this moment a 'ki moment' --has reinforced for me the awareness that all we really have is this... ki... moment. Oh, wait, it's gone!!! It went by as I was writing about it.
Noticing the Now
Unless I'm meditating (and not always then!) I'm not always aware of this... ki... moment. And because I meditate, I'm more likely during the day to notice I'm flying through one moment anticipating and planning the next. When this lovely awareness falls on me, I do stop and notice--I'm alive, here in my body, breathing and knowing that I'm well, healthy, no toothache or ear ache, and grateful for this present.
The power of noticing the now is energizing--and fleeting. I get right back into the planning, organizing, anticipation, and sometimes, yes, fear of the future. Being in the now--returning to the present--helps with the fear. As I notice I'm okay now, I realize I'm afraid of something that hasn't happened yet--and may never happen. Awareness changes everything.
Some practices that work for me (and maybe you):
- Visual cues, notes, and screen savers that alert me to stop and notice this moment.
- Mental reboots to "home base"--a place in memory that calms me and brings me back to what's important.
- Centering sounds (They can be anything--birds, wind, clocks, traffic, breath. Listen to my Centering Bell right now.)
I'm fond of saying: "You have more power than you think. When you change, everything changes."
When I stop and notice this... ki... moment, I find I have more power than I think. And everything does indeed change.
Notice now. Make this moment a ki moment. And create reminders that will help you notice during the day.
Share some with me below.
Good ki!
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