Thank you Steve for the Mindfulness Meditation. It sounds so easy to do, but it is those thoughts that seem to carry me away. I will practice this and focus on the breathing.
Do you think it would be helpful to add a mantra, like God Christ Guru or something, to help focus on the present/ presence or should I just try focusing on the breathing first ?
I remember something from a Buddhist meditation, talking about the thoughts. It was suggested as the thoughts come to mind, you could walk them ( the thoughts ) to the door and leave them outside the room. I thought this was an interesting suggestion, however, it seemed like I spent most of the meditation, walking my thoughts to the door, lol !
Into Blue I can tell you of an even easier presence meditation then the one that steve mentioned. I hope he doesn't mind. That would be paying attention to the moment you are in, and what you are doing now. Take for instance you walk down the street, and are singing do a diddy diddy dum diddy do. Pay attention to everything. Be in that moment. Notice your foot. Notice when you pick it up. Do you put it down ball first, or toes first. Notice the contact you make on the ground. Notice your hands. Do you move them? Do they go up and down? Do they stay perpendicular to your body? Notice the way your clothing moves with you. Does it affix itself to your body, does it sway in the breeze?
The more you focus on, and concentrate on what you are doing, all the way down to the finest detail the more you will notice you have no choice but to be in this moment. You will notice while you are focused on every second of now you will notice that your thoughts are not there, and you have become submerged in this moment that you don't have time for any other moment.
You can also do this while meditating. Paying attention to every part of your body, and limbs, and any sensations that may come up.