You know that moment when your heartbeat softens, your muscles unwind, and this rush of warmth runs through your body? Your eyes are closed and all your mind is focusing on is the oxygen flowing in and out of your lungs. Your brain may begin to envision clouds of colors outlining your body or entering within you - for these colors represent the energies you want surrounding you. This moment, when you find yourself completely calm, reconnected with your soul, and deep in meditation, is a form of living in the present moment with your body.

Throughout the day, each of us has hundreds of different things to do. Our days are filled with "to do" lists and deadlines, thus we each handle this stress and responsibility in different ways. Some of us ignore it or pretend everything is okay, some of us spend the whole day working on what needs to be done and biting nails along the way, and others meditate whether or not the task got completed.

I've met some people who hear the word meditation and automatically think of religious and spiritual chants; dark rooms filled with white candles, people sitting on the floor, repeating the same vowels over and over, and of course, the instruments played together in the background with intense beats and rhythm. I've met many others who hear the word meditation and fear it, for they believe that connecting with the soul could be a negative experience - an experience in which they uncover something too profound or an experience where they lose their soul. I've also met people who don't understand the hundreds of different types of meditation that exists in daily activities we each perform.

The reality is: People fail to understand that meditation does not have to be performed in the traditional way. One does not need to be chanting or lighting candles or listening to intensified instrumental rhythms. In fact, it can be a lot simpler than that. Meditation can be performed by physical activities that release the stresses one has lying on their shoulders. Activities like exercising, writing, listening to music, dancing, cooking, painting, etc. are all known for enriching the soul. The secret though is choosing your favorite physical activity and making it your daily hobby.

Taking time in the day to do this will allow for your mind, body, and soul to become balanced and connected with each other. When these three elements are connected, a feeling a fulfillment and gratitude overwhelms the soul in a positive way. Once the soul embodies itself with positive and purified light, the body and mind will begin to grow stronger and develop wiser. Meditation opens your heart to others, it exercises your brain to develop lighter, it increases positivity, and it magnifies your soul, making it easier for you to live in the present moment. Letting go of all of the past's nightmares, all of the future's anxiety and fears, living in the now will bring you discovery, happiness, and serenity.