The Life Changing Power of Presence

When have you felt most alive? Most awake? Most connected? When have you felt most at one with a greater sense of meaning, purpose, or power? Most likely, such moments occurred while loving deeply, feeling deeply, and seeing deeply. Facing loss can inspire such moments. When we pristinely acknowledge the impermanent nature of this world, we can be

We all have what you could call an energetic body, and the more present we are, the more we feel this subtle sense of aliveness. If you become truly present right now—and I don’t mean straining to be present or making effort, but simply opening all your senses, relaxing into a more open state of being—you’ll feel a subtle sense of presence.

You’re lost in your thinking, your sorrow, your fear; you’re not really there for her. So breathe in and focus your attention on your in-breath. You are bringing your mind home to your body and you become present. Simply to be there is the most important part of the practice.

It’s helpful to remember that simple presence to these feelings— acknowledging them, not pushing them away—can help us move through them more easily. Acceptance is the key. This is the way things are at the moment.