Contemplation: The Power of Presence - From Mindful Stillness to Bodily Awareness

What if I told you that true fulfillment and joy aren't found in the hustle, but in the stillness of being present? This episode is a stirring, deep journey into the realm of presence, where we unmask the deceptiveness of busyness and learn to tune into the hushed whispers of our inner selves. We discuss the fear and exhilaration of encountering what lies beneath our to-do lists, and the profound difference between mere relaxation and the revitalizing power of true rest. We also unpack the art of letting our thoughts go, a crucial step towards tapping into our deep well of inner resources.

We then shift our exploration from the treasures hidden in our minds to the wisdom embedded in our bodies. Presence, we learn, can be amplified through mindful practices that nourish our bodies, breathwork that aligns us with the rhythm of the universe, and nutrition that fuels our journey. As we navigate through everyday tasks, we realize the importance of honing our energy and attention to maintain a focused presence. Grounding ourselves in our bodies and breath leads the way towards acting from a place of inner calm and stability. Tune in, and let's embark on this road to living more fully in the present — a road less travelled, but infinitely rewarding.

Learn more about this exploration at https://www.nidsnidra.com/blog/cultivating-presence-in-a-busy-world

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:50

Hello, I'm Nid, a karma guy, so that means I support people through integrating change that happens in your life to live a lighter, more joyful way of really being fully present and human, and in this video, I wanted to explore how it is that we can be more present. And the simplest approach would be what Eckhart Tolle says, as it's always here for us, there's always now. There's always this moment of now in which we can drop all of it and just really be with what is in this moment. But often what comes with this moment is our big pile of thoughts and a whole load of feelings and all these stories and ways in which we've operated, and then probably a whole load of physical stuff. Right, because there's a momentum that normally you're carrying of being super busy and everyone I speak to at the moment it's just like everything's so busy and I'm so exhausted and I can't keep up with all the things and I don't know what to drop because I'm supposed to be doing everything, and this is a common comment at this time and has been for a while.

Speaker 1: 2:13

So what is it that this busyness is that we seem to really enjoy getting into as humans? Well, it's a bit of a distraction tactic, from really sitting with yourself and your humaneness, with taking that time to just be present with what feels, without judgment. And when we're avoiding that, it's because we're often worried about what it is that we're going to feel, what it is that we're going to uncover, like what's beneath the scary stone, as though what's going to be beneath is going to either be really horrible or it could also be really awesome. Because a lot of the time we're actually quite scared of really good stuff, and that's what I often see the most of is that my clients are more scared of the joy that they could have in their lives, the things that they could celebrate, than they are of the things that make life a bit tricky. And so we can go into being super busy and filling up our diary and never having a moment to stop and take a breath and barely go to the bathroom and eat food, and then, when we're exhausted from all of that, we check out by sitting or watching a big Netflix binge, and that checking out is the same as the being super busy. We're not being present, we're just moving from one distraction to another type of distraction. And, yes, tv feels really good because it activates the alpha brainwaves, so it's going to make you feel like you're relaxing, but actually it's not true. Rest that helps you connect with the inner resource and well within you, that's going to replenish you with really great energy. So we want to think about what are the things that we can do that are going to really help replenish and give you that energy that's going to bring forth a way of being more present in your life.

Speaker 1: 4:16

Well, the first thing to do would be to say I'm going to let go of thinking, I'm going to let go of my thoughts. I'm not going to let them chase me into doing stuff all the time, not every time that I think, oh, I forgot about that. Does it mean I must go do it? It just means I forgot Someone else might do it, or maybe that thing doesn't need doing. So that's number one.

Speaker 1: 4:43

My thought does not mean that I have to actually act upon it, that I have to react to what I just thought of. And that goes with the same with inspiration, with ideas, with socialising. Just because you think of it doesn't mean it needs a follow up. It can just be hey thought, yeah, that's an idea, and let it go and save. The thought pops back. And if it does pop back with an idea, then maybe it's something to do. But it's useful to wait a little while and see if, over time, it keeps popping back, rather than reacting and getting busy with doing and being like I need to fulfill and complete.

Speaker 1: 5:26

And the other side of why am I doing so much is exactly the question. So, when you find yourself being busy, I have to do this, I have to do that, I have to do this. Why, how is the world going to fall apart if you do not do that thing? Really, is it all hanging on you being that busy, so really choosing where to focus your energy, on the things that you're keeping busy doing? And most of the time, these are going to be stories that you're telling yourself. They're excuses that you're telling yourself to not stop and be present. That they are stories that you are telling yourself to stay busy and preoccupied. Oh, but, nid, I really do have a busy life. I've got a six-month-old baby. You know it needs feeding and then I have to do all these other things and there's all this care and there's these. These are responsibilities. I am physically needed and that's what people will say to me and I say, yeah, you are needed. And how present are you in those moments when you're being needed? Are you really present, doing those tasks?

Speaker 1: 6:42

And this is where we can come back to our ritual approach that I have shared in the past when is your energy, where is your attention and how are you using your time? Because when we bring all of our energy, our emotional state and our attention to what we are doing, our mind isn't thinking about the eight million and one other things and distracting and not being fully present. So then you can be fully present. And it's so easy in a world full of sound to be distracted, because sounds stimulate our nervous system to go on to the alert of I'm not safe, I need to look for hazards, I need to be prepared, I need to be ready. And again, that puts us into this hypervigilant state where we can't rest and the mind is kept busy, looking for danger, looking for threats, and that's all that's really happening.

Speaker 1: 7:44

With a busy mind, the more thoughts you have, it's because you're more on the alert of danger. You're living and operating from a place of fear. So what are the choices and the things that you can do that operate without that? What are the things that you're doing that are coming from those places of inspiration and aspiration that we've looked at in my previous two months of videos with you all.

Speaker 1: 8:12

Could you step forward without all of those thoughts being the thing that propels you, and actually step forward from a quieter place that maybe is guiding you from your heart or from your gut, but it's the place of your breath, the place in which your breath is steady and calm, your body is relaxed and it's grounded, and so, in order to come into being present, the two key tools we look towards are our breathing and, if it's calm, how it is reflecting our state, and maybe you can watch your breath and listen to your breathing rather than listening to the sounds around, and you can come into being present with your abdomen as it guides you with choice, with the courage to choose, and if those two things are steady and clear, if your gut feels you know a little bit of excitement, but not fear, and if your breath is steady and flowing full, that's where you act from and that's how you hold yourself in presence when you're doing things, and so, when I'm holding for other people, when I'm coming into being present, I come into my body.

Speaker 1: 9:50

I come into my belly and I ground my belly, my low abdomen especially. I feel my pelvis and the energy center holding where my relationship with gravity is and I feel that connection through my legs to the earth and I come to my breathing, which is steady and gentle and soft, and when I'm in that place I know that I'm holding with presence and we are all the same in this respect of what is presence, what is less thought. Have a most wonderful month and if you'd love to explore being present with a few more of these tools for your breath and your body, you would be welcome to explore the body life sanctuary this month, where we have been looking at nutrition and food and the way we eat in order to help our gut be nice and clear so we can ground into it in a really comfortable and nourishing way. Have a beautiful month and enjoy stepping into being more present and feeling a little less beautiful.