By personally defining what brings happiness and meaning to our life, we take a step toward creating the habit of focusing on savoring the sweet pleasures of life before they fade. This simple action helps us begin to write a new story of our life—one that holds the potential of replacing whatever stories have negatively informed our past. While this initially takes a concerted and persistent effort, it gets easier with practice.

In the Power of Now, author Eckhart Tolle encourages readers to always say, “Yes” to the present moment and to surrender to what is. Getting caught up in the instant of any business at hand to do what has to be done is different than surrendering and savoring. Jayne Koedding, owner of Organic Skincare & Bodyworx, in Naples, notes that as a business owner, she gets so absorbed in running and promoting the business, as well as taking care of employees, that she rarely stops to savor the moment. “I know that I need to make a renewed commitment to live a more satisfying story for myself. Mediation and tapping help me to do this,” says Koedding.

Another new business entrepreneur, JoAnn Rahl, the owner of Conscious Posture, in Naples, also gets caught up in the intense work of launching her new venture. “If creating my new business, which is part of my life story, doesn’t contain the rejuvenating emotions of joy, achievement and pleasure, then I won’t be able to sustain the story energetically,” says the structural integrator and movement educator who describes herself as a kinesthetic learner.

Rahl learned to live mindfully, slow down and tune in to the kinesthetic awareness of her physical being from her practice of the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education, an approach to movement, learning and change. “When a moment is beautiful and I want to enhance my conscious experience of it, I tune inward and ask myself a series of questions. Where are my feet? Am I aware of how they connect with the earth? Am I feeling my ribcage, sternum and clavicle move with the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling? What is my heart’s response to the experience; is it expanding or contracting? This starts the kinesthetic mapping process, which I pair with a conscious awareness of my emotional and feeling state in the moment,” comments Rahl.

Multitaskers such as Laura James, a holistic iridologist and owner of SWFL Natural Wellness, in Fort Myers, sometimes feels challenged to stay in the moment. “I tend to drift into the future. I first realized I needed to slow down and appreciate moments when I began to notice that I wasn’t remembering things I just did or said because my mind was already on the next task or thought,” says James, who enthuses about how engrossed she is in her passion for holistic iridology, the analyzing of the iris, sclera and pupil of the eyes.

To bring attention into the present, James focuses on her breathing and posits a silent question, “What am I finding important about this moment, relationship and situation? I connect with people by making good eye contact and remind myself that if I want to change anything in my life, I have to do it in the present. This is where mindfulness meditation is useful,” she says.

Silvia Casabianca, owner of the Eyes Wide Open Center, in Bonita Springs, reminds us that our interpretations of life are conditioned, which can make savoring moments challenging. “From infancy, we are subconsciously recording ‘voices’ of authority figures. Our inner world is therefore not an accurate reflection of the real world, but a filtered scenario that only makes sense to us when we interpret it based on previous experiences and relationships. Neuroscience teaches us that we have a natural ‘negativity bias’. Practicing living in the present and awakening to our senses can help us savor moments and overcome our negative first response to any moment.”

Casabianca believes that our internal reality depends of where we put our attention. “Personally, awareness and focus are keys that allow me to enjoy the present moment and to understand the meaning of what I’m experiencing at a spiritual level. This influences not only how I feel, but also the way I see myself and relate to others. While I believe happiness is a rather fleeting experience, I know joy as a less intense and steadier feeling of acceptance of what is and of connection with all,” she notes.

Local Resources

Organic Skincare & Bodyworx, 13240 Tamiami Tr. N., Ste. 207, Naples. 239-514-4494. OrganicSkincareAndBodyworx.com.

Conscious Posture, 501 Goodlette Rd., Ste. D-304, Naples. 239-777-2597. JoAnnRahl.com.

Laura James, 239-431-9172. SwflNaturalWellness.com.

Eyes Wide Open, 9200 Bonita Beach Rd., Ste. 204. 239-948-9444. EyesWideOpenCenter.com.