What exactly is this thing, the here and now? We know it has something to do with being present to our lives, but why is it a desirable place to be – and so hard to find? I myself had those same questions when I came to my practice so many years ago now. Our brains can be very uncooperative! They like us to be distracted constantly with thinking, thinking, thinking. But with awareness and discipline, we can align with something different. When we locate the “off” button inside our busy heads, our inner lights – body, mind and essence – can truly shine.
This episode of Life is a Practice takes us into both the reasons it’s important to meditate and the mechanics of getting to that place of stillness. It’s not easy. We all find ourselves distracted, again and again. And that is okay. It’s just part of the practice. Keep exercising that muscle and it will build and strengthen, just like when we go to the gym and work out regularly. Join me in exploring what it means to integrate mindfulness throughout the day, even when our sneaky egos whisper, “Not now. We have other important things to think about and do!” Choose to turn instead to your bodies, your breath. You will come away refreshed at every level of your being – and bring that positive energy and clarity to a wider world much in need of exactly that!
Are you longing to live in a place of inner peace, abundance, and confidence? Had enough of self-doubt, fear, and a nagging scarcity mindset? Then I invite you to explore my online course. It integrates all the teachings I use in my 1:1 coaching practice and the wisdom I’ve acquired over 25 years of mindfulness and research. Welcome!
You might also enjoy visiting my website, where you can sign up for my free newsletter, find complimentary guided meditations and listen to all my podcast episodes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Presence – or what some call present moment awareness – is the embodiment of our ability to observe life as it is unfolding.
- Sound can be a creative and effective tool for focusing attention.
- Thinking is the opposite of being present.
- Attention is like a light switch – with only an “on” or “off” position. And most of us are constantly in the “on” position, in our heads all of the time.
- Concentration is the key to becoming present, but first we have to find a way to manage our unbridled, undisciplined minds.
- Staying present is important because it:
- Frees us from the drone of mental chatter.
- Offers other possibilities of being, at different levels.
- Elevates the quality of everything we do.
- Increases our vibrancy and engagement with life.
- Enables us to connect with and manage our internal emotional lives.
- Fosters deep conscious alignment – within ourselves and the world’s entire social ecosystem.
- Four steps to a focused breathing meditation:
- I: Set an altruistic intention.
- II: Take deep, slow breaths to oxygenate the brain. Focus on the exhale to connect with the present moment.
- III: Bring attention to your body.
- IV: Return yourself to the present moment, gently, again and again.
- Meeting repeated distraction while meditating is normal and to be expected!
- Building a meditation muscle is much like building muscle at the gym: The routine must be maintained and performed regularly!
- We do not have to be thinking all the time to function competently in life.
- Create systematic reminders so your “sneaky ego” doesn’t divert you!
- Integrate your meditation practice throughout the day. Don’t isolate it to one narrow time and location.
- To get started right away you can find Juan’s free guided meditations here.
QUOTABLE:
- “The truth is that it took me a long time to begin to get a glimpse of what all the spiritual manuals were referring to. They were bringing my attention to the concept of being present.”
- “Since sound is something that can only happen in the present moment, by bringing our attention to sound, we have made ourselves present.”
- “Concentration is essential to becoming present. We have to take back the power over our attention – refuse to leave it defenseless, at the mercy of our minds.”
- “Presence is the door that connects being with doing, essence with form. It’s what makes conscious creation possible.”
- “It’s normal to get distracted. No matter how often it happens in your meditation session – and at the beginning it will likely happen a lot – you can always just bring yourself back to the breathing.”
- “To improve the quality of our lives, we have to bring the practice to the place where our lives are happening. That is, the present moment. We have to make of our lives the practice.”
FURTHER RESOURCES:
- Juan’s guided meditations can be found here.
FOLLOW JUAN & LIFE IS THE PRACTICE:
Mindfulness inspiration, straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to my Newsletter. I send content directly supporting the mindfulness, meditation, and conscious leadership work that I do. Unsubscribe at any time.