Mindful Monday: In This Moment, We Arrive

The journey of self-discovery is a mystery.

Just when we think we’ve got it figured out, life gently (or not so gently!) invites us back into the unknown. Because the only place we ever truly meet ourselves is in this moment — here, in our bodies, in our felt sense, in our breath, in our life.

I recently hosted a retreat called Come Home to Yourself. It was a day to relax, to pause, be fully in our bodies, and connect to our truth. It was rich.

At the retreat, Juna Guetter led a beautiful workshop titled Move and Be Moved. She opened with a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh. 

This quote landed deeply — I could feel my heart smiling....

On the path of self-discovery, it’s so easy to get caught up in longing for things to change… wanting more peace… believing we need to fix ourselves. But this mindset is what keeps us stuck.

The ego does not want to be here, now. It mimics our higher self, trying to convince us that transformation must be dramatic. It loves the next shiny object. And when we fall into this trap, we start treating ourselves like a renovation project — one of those never-ending renos where the moment you fix the plumbing, the roof starts leaking. There is always “one more thing.”

But this path only moves us further away from ourselves.

At the retreat, we chose a different way — something far more nourishing.

We explored being in our bodies.
We meditated.
We did yoga. 
We danced.
We breathed.
We shared our truth.
We ate, walked, talked, and noticed our presence in the living moment.

Being here now is the practice.

And it is where transformation lies.

Yet the ego will still whisper, “That can’t be enough.” 

For years, I believed that too.

I was drawn to charismatic teachers and big promises. I even took vows with a guru who gave me a new name — Datri, Sanskrit for “Goddess of giving and serving humanity.” I lived in a center with other meditation teachers, and we travelled and taught meditation in different cities.

We were told we were special — more devoted than “regular” people. A part of me liked that. It felt good to feel special.

But looking back, I see that it was also a way to forget about Diane and become someone new. I was abandoning myself for something I perceived to be better. But everything I was trying to avoid was still there, in the background, waiting for opportune times to make an appearance. (I also want to say that many people change their name and I am not suggesting they are abandoning themselves. I am only sharing my experience.)

One of this guru's teachings was that if we were feeling complicated or unpleasant feelings, we were instructed to “choose the stillness.”

Which really meant abandoning the part of me that felt unsettled in order to focus on something more pleasurable. The message was clear: this part of you is wrong.

This is not a path of true transformation. It does not integrate the ego. It creates a split. No wonder we see many spiritual teachers fall from grace amid scandals involving misuse of power, money, and sex. I witnessed this firsthand.

And even so, I wouldn’t change the experience. It taught me so much. I met wonderful people. I loved teaching meditation, and I developed discernment — now I can spot a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” from a mile away.

Today, I still have teachers and guides, but the difference is profound: they honour autonomy. They never tell me how I should or shouldn't feel. They encourage me to share my direct experience, and to question things — something I could never do with the guru, as that would have been considered blasphemy.

My practice now has more simplicity, and so much more depth.

Coming home to myself means being here, now, with my experience — with compassion and curiosity.

What matters most is consistency — making daily life a meditation.

One simple and profound tool I use is conscious breathing throughout my day.

I have come to know the breath as sacred. Not only does it bring us to the present moment, but it also serves as a bridge to deeper levels of consciousness.

A simple, conscious breath can be transformational.
It’s gentle.
It’s kind.
It’s a loving way of returning to ourselves, at any time, even in a traffic jam.

Right now… I invite you to pause.

Just for a moment.
Notice your breath.
the inhale…
and the exhale.

Feel the breath moving through you - and you are home. 

This week ay we rest in the sacredness of our true nature and be here now, in our bodies, with our feelings, our thoughts, and all the parts of ourselves — remembering that we already have everything we need within us.


With love,
 
Diane