Finding Balance in Time: A Practical Guide
Understanding the Present Moment
When spiritual teachers ask you to bring your attention to the present moment, they’re sharing a powerful tool. Think of the present moment like the sun—it’s the brightest, warmest place where all your energy naturally gathers. This is where you truly live, and where you can bring together your body, mind, and spirit into one focused beam of light.
Learning to be fully present is like learning to stand with both feet firmly on the ground. It’s an essential skill that helps you feel stable, clear, and alive.
Try This Now: Place one hand on your heart. Feel it beating. That rhythm is happening right now, in this present moment. This simple awareness is what being present feels like in your body.
The Misunderstanding About Past and Future
Here’s where confusion often happens: Some people believe that being present means you should never think about your past or imagine your future. This is like saying you should only look straight ahead when you walk and never glance at where you’ve been or where you’re going. That doesn’t make much sense, does it?
You can absolutely learn from your past. Looking back at old patterns is like studying a map of where you’ve traveled. When you notice you keep taking the same wrong turn, you can choose a different path next time. This isn’t living in the past—it’s learning from it while standing firmly in the present.
Experience This: Think of a mistake you made recently. Now, place your hand on your belly and take a slow breath. Notice: you’re thinking about the past, but your body is here, breathing, right now. You can hold both at once.
When Past and Future Become Problems
Of course, you can get stuck. Some people become trapped in their past, constantly replaying old mistakes like a broken record. They judge themselves harshly or drown in regret and self-pity. Others spend so much time in therapy analyzing their childhood that they use it as an excuse for everything wrong in their lives today.
The future can trap you too. Some people dream beautiful dreams but never take a single step toward them. Others become so afraid of what might go wrong that they freeze, unable to act when action is needed.
Think of it like this: Your timeline is like a river. The present moment is where you’re swimming right now. Some people keep looking back upstream, barely noticing they’re about to hit a rock. Others stare so hard downstream that they don’t see what’s right in front of them. Neither approach helps you swim well.
Check Yourself: Close your eyes and notice where your thoughts usually wander. Do they drift mostly to the past? The future? Or do they rest here, now? Just notice, without judgment. Awareness itself is the first step toward balance.
Why Some Teachers Emphasize “Only Now”
Imagine ancient meditation teachers centuries ago, watching their students daydream during practice. “Stay present!” they’d say. “Stop wandering!” This was helpful advice for people who were lost in mental chatter.
But over time, that practical tip became a rigid rule. The deeper wisdom got lost, like a game of telephone where the message changes as it passes from person to person. Many teachers today repeat what they’ve heard without checking in with their own inner wisdom to see if it’s the whole truth.
Explore This: Think of some advice you’ve been given. Now, place your awareness in the center of your chest. Ask your heart: “Is this completely true for me?” Notice what you sense. Your inner wisdom often knows more than borrowed ideas.
The Gift of Your Timeline
Let’s say you’re reasonably balanced—not stuck in the past, not lost in future fantasies. Why would you want to explore your timeline consciously?
Here’s a practical example: When you gently scan your future timeline (we’ll show you how in a moment), you might sense certain limitations ahead. Maybe you feel a tightness in your chest when you think about a particular path, or an expansive lightness when you imagine another direction. These sensations are information. You can bring these insights back to your present moment and use them to create positive change.
Sensory Marker Practice:
- Think about something you’re planning next week
- Notice: Does your body feel tight or open? Heavy or light? Warm or cool?
- Now think about an alternative approach to the same situation
- Notice: Did the sensations change?
- Your body is giving you information about future possibilities
These body signals are like a compass helping you navigate. Learning to read them reduces anxiety because you’re no longer guessing blindly—you’re receiving guidance from your own inner wisdom.
Questioning Old Beliefs About Time
You may have heard that the past and future are “unreal” or “just illusions.” But what does “real” actually mean?
Ideas aren’t physical objects you can hold, but they’re incredibly useful. Love isn’t something you can see under a microscope, but it changes everything. The past and future may not be as solid as this moment, but does that mean they have no value?
Think of it this way: A photograph isn’t the same as the moment when it was taken, but it can still teach you something. A blueprint for a house isn’t the house itself, but it helps you build one.
Reality Check Exercise:
- Remember what you ate for breakfast (if you ate)
- That moment is gone, but the memory feels real, doesn’t it?
- Now imagine what you’ll eat for dinner
- That hasn’t happened yet, but you can sense possibilities
- Both give you useful information while you sit here, breathing, in this present moment
Your Multidimensional Imagination
Your imagination is not just fantasy—it’s your connection to deeper wisdom. When you center yourself in the present moment, your imagination becomes like a time-traveling vehicle that can visit the past to gather lessons and explore the future to discover possibilities.
Picture your consciousness like a tree. Your roots go deep into the earth of the present moment. But your branches stretch out in all directions—into the past, into the future, into realms of possibility. The stronger your roots in the Now, the farther your branches can safely reach.
Grounding Practice Before Time Exploration:
- Sit comfortably and feel your seat touching the chair
- Place both feet flat on the floor
- Put one hand on your heart, one on your belly
- Take three slow breaths, feeling your body rise and fall
- Say to yourself: “I am here, now, fully present”
- Feel a warmth or tingling in your center—this is your anchor point
When you’re grounded like this, you can safely explore any time.
How to Safely Explore Your Past
Practical Past-Reflection Technique:
- Ground first using the practice above
- Choose a past event you want to learn from—nothing too traumatic for your first tries
- Notice your body’s anchor: Keep feeling your feet on the floor and your breath moving
- Gently recall the memory: See it like watching a movie, not diving back into it
- Ask yourself: “What can this teach me? What pattern do I notice?”
- Sense the answer in your body—maybe a knowing in your gut, a warmth in your chest, or words that arise in your mind
- Thank the past for its lesson
- Return fully to the present by feeling your hands, wiggling your toes, opening your eyes
Sensory Markers of Success:
- You feel calm and curious (not overwhelmed)
- You can clearly feel your body in the present even while remembering
- You gain insight without getting lost in emotion
- You feel empowered, not diminished
This practice helps reduce anxiety because you’re no longer running from your past or controlled by it. You’re harvesting wisdom from it, which brings peace.
How to Explore Your Future
Future-Scanning Practice:
- Ground thoroughly in the present moment
- Set an intention: “I want to sense the possibilities around [specific situation]”
- Imagine stepping forward on your timeline—see it like a path ahead
- Notice sensations: Does the path feel open or blocked? Light or heavy? Does your chest expand or contract?
- Ask questions: “What might happen if I choose this direction? What am I being guided toward?”
- Listen with your whole body: Wisdom comes as feelings, images, knowing, or subtle sensations
- Bring insights back: What did you learn? What action feels right now?
- Anchor again in your breath and body
Change Markers to Notice:
- Warm sensations often indicate alignment
- Tightness or heaviness might signal caution
- Expansive, light feelings often mean “yes”
- A sense of peace suggests you’re on track
- Confusion might mean you need more information
Developing this skill helps you feel empowered rather than anxious about the future. Instead of worrying blindly, you’re consulting your inner guidance system.
The Unified Practice: Past, Present, Future Together
Here’s the key that brings it all together: You can explore your entire timeline while remaining rooted in the present moment. It’s not either/or—it’s both/and.
Complete Timeline Integration Practice:
- Create your present-moment anchor:
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- Sit quietly, spine comfortably straight
- Place both hands over your heart
- Feel your heartbeat—this is your center point, your “Now”
- Take five deep breaths, feeling completely present
- Sense your timeline as a continuum:
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- Imagine a golden thread of light running through your life
- Behind you stretches your past, glowing softly
- Before you extends your future, shimmering with possibility
- You sit at the brightest point—right now
- This whole thread is yours to explore
- Practice moving along your timeline while staying centered:
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- Keep one hand on your heart (your anchor to Now)
- Imagine looking gently backward—what lessons await?
- Imagine looking gently forward—what wisdom calls to you?
- Notice: You can see both directions while your heart beats steadily here, now
- Ask your deepest wisdom:
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- “What from my past wants to be healed or understood?”
- “What from my future wants to guide me today?”
- “What does this present moment want to teach me?”
- Receive with all your senses:
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- Images in your mind’s eye
- Feelings in your heart
- Knowing in your gut
- Sensations in your body
- Quiet words arising from your soul
- Give thanks:
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- Thank your past for its lessons
- Thank your future for its guidance
- Thank this moment for its gift of awareness
Sensory Signs You’re Doing It Right:
- You feel stable and calm (not dizzy or scattered)
- You can shift attention between times without losing your center
- You feel wiser and more peaceful afterward
- Your breathing stays smooth and natural
- You sense an inner light or warmth
- You feel more connected to yourself
The Benefits: Why This Matters
When you develop this balanced timeline awareness, something profound happens:
Stress and anxiety decrease because you’re no longer afraid of your past or future. You’ve befriended your entire timeline.
You become more stable because you’re rooted in the present while accessing wisdom from all times.
You feel empowered because you’re no longer tossed around by memories or worries. You’re the conscious observer of your life.
Wisdom grows naturally as you harvest lessons from every part of your journey.
Inner peace deepens because you realize you’re not just a body moving through time—you’re a vast consciousness that includes all moments.
Joy emerges from this expanded awareness. When you’re no longer running from the past or anxious about the future, you can fully receive the gift of Now.
Your Daily Practice
You don’t need to master everything at once. Start simple:
Morning Practice (5 minutes):
- Ground in your body
- Scan the day ahead, noticing how your body responds
- Set an intention based on what you sense
Evening Practice (5 minutes):
- Ground in your body
- Review the day that passed, looking for lessons
- Give thanks for what you learned
Throughout the day:
- Whenever you feel anxious, return to your breath
- Place your hand on your heart
- Remember: You are here, now, and this is your power point
The Truth About Reality
Some teachers will insist that past and future are illusions. Let them believe as they choose. You deserve to explore the full range of your consciousness.
Your awareness is vast—it includes memories, present sensations, and future possibilities all at once. This isn’t something to fear. It’s your birthright as a conscious being.
Your imagination, grounded in the Now, is your gateway to spiritual insight. It’s not “just imagination”—it’s how your soul communicates with you across time.
Living the Unified Truth
Here’s what we’ve discovered together:
The present moment is your home base, your power point, your anchor. Never lose that.
But from this stable center, you can safely explore your entire timeline. Your past holds treasures of wisdom. Your future whispers guidance. And this moment—right now—is where you bring it all together.
You are not just your body. You are not just this moment. You are a vast, multidimensional consciousness expressing itself in time and space. When you claim this truth through direct experience—feeling it in your heart, sensing it in your body, knowing it in your soul—you step into your power.
Final Integration Exercise:
Right now, as you finish reading:
- Feel your breath moving in and out
- Place your awareness in your heart center
- Sense the divine essence within you—that spark of infinite consciousness
- Notice: This awareness is timeless, yet it experiences time
- You are the eternal meeting the temporal
- You are vast awareness having a human experience
- Rest in this knowing
This is freedom. This is wisdom. This is your true nature, available in every moment.
May each breath bring you deeper into this truth. May every moment—past, present, and future—serve your awakening to who you really are: infinite consciousness, exploring itself through the beautiful journey of your life.
Begin today. Your whole timeline is waiting to teach you.
Joel Bruce Wallach