Why is it important to practice presence? Because in presence you are practising ‘being.’ Being in the now moment. Life exists only in every now moment. Every moment is new, is fresh. The second that just passed is gone and cannot be changed. What can be changed is what you are thinking and what you are doing right now. Do you see how it is the ‘eternal now’?
The mind wonders. It’s what it does. The trick is catching it if it’s wondering to a place that is pulling you away from feeling at your best, from feeling happy. Catch it as soon as you realise you’ve gone somewhere else, to that less supportive place. Remember the ego-mind is always interested in that place. When you catch it taking you there, remind yourself of your ‘heart-mind’ and you can ask yourself “what would the heart say?”… which is essentially asking “what would love say or do?” Breathe it in and breathe out focusing on your heart space and come back to that divine loving place that always has the higher perspective.
You can remind yourself, where are my feet at? Wherever your feet are that is where you are right now. This brings you back into your physical body and space and into the present moment. When all your energy is concentrated into this present moment, you have all your power back. When your energy is focused in one place on one thing, it is not scattered and therefore you have more power to respond the way you want to, instead of reacting. When the mind is everywhere; a bit in the past, a bit in the future and a bit in the now, it is scattered and energy is leaking, diminishing your ability to respond effectively in the now. A focused energy response is effortless, it will be with control, with love and without irritation because with your power back you can handle any situation that arises right now. Worrying about how you would react to a situation; thinking of all the probabilities and outcomes of what might happen and how you would respond all results in energy leaking and diminishes your power in the now.
Taking your power back is taking the onus of your thoughts and feelings; and that is the art of “self-responsibility.” Looking at how you respond to the world; being the manager of your response and your ability to respond to whatever arises within and around you is self-responsibility. What do you allow to come in through your senses, what do you allow to stay and what do you allow to let go.
Another way to practise presence, is to observe without judging or naming/labelling anything. For example, sitting or walking in nature, because nature just ‘is.’ It’s not trying to be anything or do anything, it-just-is. We have the urge to name something when we see it, a tree, a bird a worm, a rose. Can you just allow something to be? Can you just allow you to be? Can you feel your consciousness as you see it’s consciousness as it is?
In practising presence, we come back to the heart-mind which allows the uncovering of this truth; that we are a peaceful, complete, joyful being. Right here, right now, we are complete and abundant. Trust in your better-self (your better half 😉); that it is always there and you will hear it clearly in the every now moment you pay attention to. This higher-self will guide you to living your best moments; every moment.