Give the gift of presence to yourself and others
The gift of presence
How do we give the gift of our presence? Presence doesn't cost any money. I believe when I embody it, my life and the lives of those I care about are enriched. I have learned that presence isn't the physicality of being somewhere, it is the energy and attitude that lives within me and radiates out to where I place my attention.
I have given the practice of presence a lot of attention this past year. The truth is, sometimes I don't want to be present, I want to distract myself and check out. I chose presence to be my focus for 2023. My sense was then, and remains, that it will be a practice I choose for the rest of my life.
Here are a few things I learned about presence this year:
Understanding something intellectually and embodying it are quite different.
Bringing presence to my relationships changes the way I experience the relationship and the way I respond.
Horses embody presence.
Meditation and mindfulness are fun ways to practice and play with presence.
Accepting all my parts creates a sense of safety and presence within myself.
It is okay to not be present all the time. Distraction can be a tool to bring me back to presence.
I can only discern for myself, not another, what is a playful distraction and when I am avoiding my thoughts and feelings.
Judgement of myself or another separates me from presence.
Presence takes practice.
"Your wholeness is felt by feeling the wholeness of the present." Philip Shepherd
This past year, I took action on something that I have wanted to do for a long time, I created a podcast about practice. The podcast is called, Ritual of Practice. On the podcast, I interview people, everyday people, like you and me, about their practice. So far, I have interviewed artists, teachers, yogis, athletes, and more.
If you haven't already listened, I invite you to check it out. Are you already listening? Is there someone that you would like me to interview? Are there practices that you would like to hear more about? I appreciate your feedback and ideas!
If you're new to podcasts, here is a link to Spotify and the show website. If you have an iPhone, the Apple podcast app is already installed on your phone. Search, Ritual of Practice, and follow the show with the + follow button to receive episodes as they are shared.
Ritual of Practice on Spotify
Thank you for listening!
EASE INTO YOGA
I will be offering an 8-week series with Trista Winder beginning January 8th, 2024. The intention of this series is to meet you where you're at in your practice. The series will have a lean towards the beginner, but we are structuring the offering to include options for students with an existing practice to play their edge, as well.
The series will be taught at the Moab Arts & Recreation Center on Mondays at 5:30pm. You can drop-in to individual sessions for $15/class, or commit to the series, by January 1st, for $80.
Love,
Angela