Savouring the Moment

Have you ever had one of those experiences that you walk away from knowing it was breathtaking, knowing that the meal you just ate, the view you just saw, the activity you just did, the interaction you just had or the music you just heard was something else? Just thinking about this, my mind takes me back to the moment and I can feel as if I was there again. I can feel just from the thought of that meal the saliva in my mouth watering!

Each day we have moments like this, they may not be to the extent of my list but they are glimpses of this encounter. I find often though in my own life I am too busy to stop and be present in that moment and as a result I skim over what could have been.

Something that I have noticed is all around us there is beauty, moments of inspiration just waiting to be experienced if I am willing to pause and look.

In photography there is a term called "the Golden Hour", this is the hour right before sunset or the hour after sunrise. The sun is low on the horizon and the light is optimal for photography. As human's we too have this Golden Hour but we don't require sunset or sunrise, we just need presence.

As a teacher, one of the greatest moments like this is seeing that point in a students learning where they light up, where something they have found challenging suddenly makes sense. Where you can step back and appreciate the journey. Another moment is when you and the students you are working with get so in flow with the inquiry you all loose the sense of time. The engagement is so rich that the experience could easily continue beyond the time limits of the lesson. Through the intentional focus on being present, we allow ourselves to go deep into inquiry and learning. At that point our senses become stimulated and we desire to know more.

The recipe of this experience is different for everyone; however, researching this over the past months, I have found there are some commonalities.

• First give yourself permission: we often feel limited by time, others expectations, programs and the list could continue though deciding this is important we give ourselves permission.
• Space: this doesn't have to be much but if your brain or your physical environment is cluttered it is hard to avoid distraction.
• Time: start small and catch yourself experiencing the intricacies of the things around you. 
• Presence: it is a state of being where you allow yourself to fully experience the moment producing a sense of ease, poise and intentional attendance.

As adults we need this as much as our students, we need to have that sense of AWE where we feel Amazed, having a sense of Wonder and desire for rich Engagement. AWE allows us to be inspired by the moment as if it is like a mouthful of the most breathtaking meals you have ever eaten.

Pausing what have you noticed today?