Orienting to the Present Moment

Where are you now as you are reading this Editorial? Can you read these words and notice the positioning and posture of your body? Can you observe individual sensations in a particular part of your body at this moment? Take a moment now to close your eyes and guide your attention to the sensations within your body. When you return to this page, can you be aware of mental sensations that arise (many people refer to these as thoughts). Perhaps there are thoughts about the contents of the upcoming articles in this special issue. Maybe there is anticipation about a desire to learn something new. Or maybe there are mental events related to a variety of issues completely unrelated to this Editorial or this special issue. Can you notice those mental events like you might notice streams of water in a river? From a distance. Can you remain firmly planted on the bank while you observe the flow of water that is your thoughts? This is a difficult practice. This is an essential practice. This is mindfulness. And sexologists have caught on that mindfulness is central to the experience of sexuality.