Notes Below
Session 1: Introduction to Presence Practice
Overview
In this session we will:
- Define Presence Practice
- Share the key features and benefits of Presence Practice
- Share how we may support for your Presence Practice
Presence Practice for Beginners
- We recommend:
- 10-to-15 minutes of daily practice
- throughout your day . . . stop, breathe and be in presence . . . bring awareness to what is around you, who is around you, what you are doing
- Practice is simply learning to be in presence
Presence Practice for the Novice
- We recommend:
- 10-to-15 minutes of practice twice a day
- throughout your day . . . stop, breathe and be in presence . . . bring awareness to what is around you, who is around you, what you are doing
- Practice is simply learning to be in presence
Presence Practice for the Experienced Person
- We recommend:
- 20 minutes of practice twice a day
- throughout your day . . . stop, breathe and be in presence . . . bring awareness to what is around you, who is around you, what you are doing
- Practice is simply learning to be in presence
What is Being in Presence . . .
Being in Presence is . . .
- Awareness of what is in the moment. As Eckardt Tolle says, awareness of the “isness” of the moment
- Becoming fully conscious in the moment, fully present in your activity, fully present among those who are with you
- Letting go of thoughts and impulses that draw you away from the moment . . . such as the a ping from your phone, the impulse to bring judgment to the moment, the impulse to allow your thoughts to take you into the past or the future and the impulse to attach to a thought that moves you out of presence
What Being in Presence is Not . . .
Being in Presence is not:
- Passivity
- Relinquishing Your Intelligence, Your Thinking Mind or Your Planning for the Future
- Becoming a Zombie
When You Practice Presence, You Will Bring Your Best Self to the Experience of Your Life
Being in Presence . . .
- Energizes your mind and body and frees your creative spirit
- Enhances your engagement with others and the world around you
- Enlivens your being
Being in Presence Takes Practice
Benefits of Presence Practice
- Presence Practice . . . relieves you from the dominance of negative thinking and negative thought patterns. Research shows that most undirected thinking and self talk is negative. And, most of us are not aware of our own self talk as it occurs. We just become aware of the negative ways in which our self talk manifests.
- For instance, we may become aware of a sense of fatigue, dissatisfaction with life . . . such as dissatisfaction with where we work or our social network . . . or general feelings of being in a rut. We may think changing our environment will bring happiness. However, Jon Kabat Zinn tells us “Wherever you go, there you are.”
- Of course, decades of negative thinking contributes to the onset of illnesses such as headaches, general body aches, upset stomach . . . as well as conditions such as as heart disease, cancer and more.
- Presence Practice . . . releases your creativity energy. When you are not consumed with thoughts about the past and the future, you become receptive to the full experience of the present moment. You are able to absorb the moment in its fullness.
- In the present, you are able to appreciate what is truly happening and you are wholly engaged in the moment
- This supports improved relationships, better decision-making and enhanced performance
Being in Presence Takes Practice
How to Practice Presence
The key practice features are:
- Free yourself from judgement
- Release effort. Allow what happens to be . . .without attachment
- Anchor in the present . . . any and all of the 5 senses may serve as anchors
Supportive Resources for Presence Practice
- Session 1: Introduction to Presence Practice
- Session 2: Beginner Presence Practice
- Session 3: Calm the Chaos – Loss
- Session 4: Calm the Chaos – Sleep
- Session 5: Calm the Chaos – Energy
Bring Awareness of the Present Moment to the Experience of Your Life . . . Every Day and throughout the Day