Be present. Those are a couple of very popular “buzz words” I have heard countless times as I have walked my journey of Spirituality, health and wholeness. It sounds nice and pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? I mean, how hard could it really be? Yet, if you’ve ever really given it a legit go, it won’t take long before you start to wonder how in the world you are ever going to do it for more than a second or two. Because once you find yourself "there" you will most likely (and rather quickly) find yourself plunked right back into your churning, busy mind with the same familiar worries, fears, doubts and challenges welcoming your arrival. Oh joy.
Being present truly is a valuable state of being. No arguments there. Many spiritual adepts over the course of history have extolled the benefits of this valuable experience. We are asked to be still, ground ourselves, still our minds and bodies and just be aware. At the beginning of this process, it may seem quite the impossible dream to believe you could ever accomplish this state of true presence once in a while, let alone on a regular basis. Eventually it does start to become accessible in moments that begin to slowly grow longer and over the course of time, stronger. Once this happens, it is often followed by the frustration that you cannot seem to maintain this highly focused state for very long. Yet, every obstacle on the path of enlightenment has a purpose. They are actually important obstacles. They challenge us in good ways. The waiting period prepares us for what is to come, giving us opportunities to process our thoughts and curiosities about the real weight and power of this life altering experience.
Something to bear in mind if you undertake the task of befriending presence, is that there are two things going on at once. We may not initially see them clearly, however they work in tandem. One is, learning to focus in a state of stillness. This means, to collect your consciousness into one central focus, not dispersed, but cohesive. As you practice creating that experience, it will grow stronger and stronger. The other action ongoing is that as you connect with stillness, you also become aware of the things that have been getting in your way. For instance, as the "dust" of the mind settles, the problems or challenges currently on your plate, like issues unforgiven, debilitating doubt or fear, even old resentments, regrets, abandonments or betrayals (trauma) are recognized and more clearly seen. These are what keep our attention moving from the past to the future, over and over again. Yet, the most important observance is the one found in the now moment: the one showing you those diversions are not nearly as important as the connection with the one Source of stillness and unconditional love living within.
Old stories and unresolved traumas will most definitely get in the way of your feeling that perfect sense of presence because of this one simple fact: presence is found in the "now" moment. The other issues are found only in two places: the past and the future. Which begs these questions of any seeker, “How much time am I actually spending suspended in thought about the past and/or future?” And, “How much time am I actually spending in the present moment?” Then, the most important question, "How much of my mind time do I really want to trade for Presence?" This one is in your hands and is all about free will. It's up to you where this experience of developing presence lives in your life, i.e., how you will prioritize it. Once you find answers to these questions, you will begin forming an understanding of the path and work that lies ahead of you on this sacred journey.
Trying to get into presence can feel like the trash compactor scene in Star Wars Episode IV where the walls are closing in on Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke and Chewbacca. (If you haven’t seen it, you can find it on YOUTube.) This is the conundrum we all face at the beginning of our wholeness journeys. The walls of the past and future have been closing in on our consciousness, progressively shrinking the space that we have available for “presence.” There may be times, like the one we are in now, where chaos is rampant in our nation and we feel fears, anxieties and insecurities that aren’t contributing to a sense of peace. Our fears or worries for the future and accumulated trauma from the past can eclipse our present moments so easily if we do not take the upper hand in our own mental health.
Once you begin the process of feeling, releasing and allowing those fears, doubts and uncomfortable feelings to move through you—rather than just to sit and fester, you are effectively making those “trash compactor” walls slow down. Over time, you may even get them to move apart so you feel like you can breathe a sigh of relief and stabilize yourself, and increase your own space available for presence. The more you have stored inside your psyche and heart, the greater the task of creating a state of presence can be, because the space is being taken up by other things. As you might suspect, this journey of developing our connection to presence is surely not a path of the impatient. And I believe, many people let go this journey because of that exact reason. It does takes time, care and patience. It does require consistency, humility and dedication. So you might ask, "Is it really worth my time and effort to learn the practice of being present?" In a word. Yes.
An emphatic YES! This is because your peace of mind is worth everything. Your whole life hinges on your ability to find a clear way to see and navigate your thoughts and actions and live your life in a positive, empowering and meaningful way. This is the way that is found only in the now moment, since you cannot live any other moment. This is how you begin to live into better decisions, more positive actions, a greater sense of resilience and optimism. Taking such actions will undoubtedly give each of our lives a renewed and valuable sense of richness and meaning. As well, the ability to grow out of the situations where we struggle. And hence, we expand our vision and increase our ability to experience the true gift of presence which will continually empower us to live authentic and satisfying lives. We begin lovingly protecting our now moments and revering our connection to presence. I think Yoda would definitely approve.
May the force be with YOU,
Karen