MAP: Presence

I’m opening this PLAY’ful blog with a juicy question for you. 

How present are you in this moment? 

Perhaps you’re reading this in a cozy spot while tuned in to yourself and your surroundings. Or maybe you’re catching a pause between your “to dos” and unaware of what is happening in and around you.

For many of us, conscious presence takes practice.

During one of my graduate courses our instructor, Ryland White, gave each of us an orange. She invited us to settle into the room. Then she led us through a mindfulness exercise of being fully present with the orange’s shape, color, texture, smell, and eventually taste. Enjoying a delicious piece of fruit with this level of presence had a significant impact on my understanding of “being in the moment” as a practice. 

Presence brings together conscious awareness, purpose, and PLAY. 

Our MAP would just be a MA… without the direction that comes with Presence. Full presence in the moment invites our authenticity and informs our movement - movement for deepening connection with ourselves and others, for exploring creative options, and for forwarding intentional actions. It heightens our senses and supports how we logically, emotionally, and intuitively connect to what’s happening in the now. 

Think about the different ways you’ve been present at work and home this week. Identify any internal and external factors that may be affecting your presence in these environments. Consciously bringing greater presence to an interaction or a task has the potential to shift your energy level, release what may not be serving you, and open you to opportunities in the moment.

If you’re finding it difficult to be fully present in certain situations, sit with that challenge. Then PLAY’fully explore the reasons for this resistance. Understanding those reasons may lead to important insights, which will provide greater choice when it comes to patterns of behaviors and reactions.

Further reading: “This Moment is Perfect” by Thich Nhat Hanh, from LionsRoar.com