In today’s session, we focus on the sensations in our body to experience who we are in the present moment. When asked “who are you?” we may use words to convey a concept of who we are: ‘l’m a teacher’, ‘I’m a happy person’ l’m a very busy person’ and inevitably, they focus on past or future thought patterns. There’s nothing wrong with these descriptions but they cannot convey the true depth and mystery of who who you really are. We can, however experience a rest from such mind activity and become aware of our being in the present moment. This meditation can help us to take time out and replenish our energy by focusing on only what is taking place right now. Even a short time spent being aware of the present moment can have a positive impact on the rest of the day. So welcome, and enjoy your mini mind holiday!
Tag: presence
Using the breath
20 min. meditation using the breath as an anchor to the present moment. unhooking from thoughts about the past and future.
Lifeline
It all boils down to this . . .
WEEK 7 – Stillness: true knowledge
‘Give up your need to know and in doing so, infinite knowledge opens up’
- Read all the steps and notes below before starting this meditation.
- Get comfortable and completely relax remaining as still as you can. Notice your body breathing like you have never noticed before.
- Don’t be concerned if your mind is racing or thinking of this or that – let it – just choose to focus on your breathing for now
- Regardless of the activity in your mind, dedicate the next fifteen minutes to allowing yourself to experience whatever comes up for you whether it’s thoughts, feelings, visions or emotions.
- Set a timer for 15 minutes (choose a gentle alarm!) and start when you are comfortable and ready.
NOTES
- Allow everything in this present moment, no matter how negative or uncomfortable – it’s all energy flowing through your body.
- Now, without being concerned about any outcome, allow your whole focus to rest on your experience of being alive right now. Allow it all.
- Stay with the experience as you chant in your mind the mantra ‘I am’ over and over again.
- Let the mantra dissolve into a meaningless mumble – it doesn’t matter; what does is your undivided attention on your present moment experience. This is where your source dwells – the source of all knowledge and wisdom.
- Do this every day of the week
The Presence Process
I have just completed Michael Brown’s ‘The Presence Process – A Journey into Present Moment Awareness’ It wasn’t all plain-sailing – my resistance manifested in many ways; forgetfulness, not bothering, feeling uncomfortable and creating all manner of plausible excuses why I can’t face something that’s clearly a block for me! According to Brown, ‘it’s the mind struggling to give up it’s God-like control and grip on my experience of life’. I know the games I play are the same ones I played when I was a child; not wanting to do my home-work, avoiding being found-out, playing up to get attention. Nothing’s new, it’s all a repeating pattern, ‘driven by unintegrated emotional charge’. I now realise that decades have past, and opportunities have been squandered as I allowed myself to be distracted by the symphony of discomfort and pain. The time was right for me to get some clarity, focus my energy and accelerate the process of integrating my past and the ancient feelings from childhood into my adult experience of life. The proof is in the eating. Read, follow the simple instructions and the rest is down to you. Only you can feel your unintegrated charge. Only you can face your fear, anger and grief. No one else, not even Michael Brown can do it for you.
A Prayer to the Universe
I wrote a poem today!
Dash to pieces the structures I’ve built,
Destroy my dreams to conquer my plight,
Show me how to love more deeply,
Wherever I hide, shine in your light.
Whatever I’ve fought, may I fully embrace,
And soften towards my one time foe.
Where my heart is closed, may it be open,
Where I still hold on, may I let it go.
Despatch your infinite supply of agents,
That I may trust the vibration of life.
Help me laugh at my serious thinking,
Humour amidst my trouble and strife.
Be my stillness in the violent storms,
Spare not the truth although I grieve.
Hold me tight when I stumble and falter,
Be my breath when I cannot breathe.
Let me experience the joy of living,
May presence be my resting place.
As I learn to feel, not just to feel better,
I gracefully decline this human race.
Amen
TRADING PRESENCE FOR PRETENCE
We’ve all had fearful experiences as a child and as an adult, and we mostly react by mentally escaping into the illusionary corridors of time. In this mentally manufactured dream world we pretend everything is all right or will be all right some time in the future. Through fear, we trade being present for the mental armoury of pretence.
Through embracing physical presence we change our approach from fearfully hiding in a mental dream world to recognising ALL experience as an opportunity for growth.
Embrace today, fellow warriors of love; be present and grow!
andypages 