Satya

The Present is Presence

What does it mean to be present?  What does it feel like?  Look like?  Sound like?  How do we get there?  How can we GIFT ourselves and others with the Present of Presence in 2010?

There are so many books with titles like: Staying present, Mindfulness, becoming Conscious, Aware, Awake….and on and on.

In a world that just seems to get busier and faster it is no wonder that books with these titles are filling the shelves.  We are literally loosing ourselves in a sea of busyness, always adding more and moving faster, striving to be more organized, and more efficient.

“Do not become an assassin of the soul by thinking that you are just ordinary.”               ~ from the Play of Consciousness by Swami Muktananda

Our busy lives leave little time for connecting with the soul, the heart, the presence within…….after a time we begin to feel ordinary because we have forgotten that we are in fact beautiful beings of light with a unique presence of our own to share.

We’ve all had moments of quiet and solitude where we’ve been at peace, balanced and centered.  Also, many of us have had the experience of finding an answer to a challenge or problem that seemed so difficult  while on a walk, or while sitting at the edge of the water.  This is when we are reminded that …..

“The present is Holy Ground.”   ~Alfred North Whitehead 

and that…..

“These little stops bring something of ourselves back to the whole – the way a bee brings nectar to its hive.”  ~Gunilla Norris

How do we strengthen our capacity to bring nectar to the hive, to stay on Holy Ground, to stay connected to the soul and to be more present in 2010?

Being Present is a practice of coming back to your spiritual heart.  Physically located in the center of your body, also known as the Anahata chakra, it is above the root of your sacrum and below the crown of your head.  Gently placing your hand over your heart center is a sweet reminder of coming home to your presence, the essence within you that is uniquely yours.  This is the home of the guru within you that is all-knowing and wise, the essence of which is brilliant illumination.

It is no coincidence that the heart center is located in the middle between the earth upon which we stand and the sky toward which we reach in to the sea of limitless possibilities.  When we balance our connection to the earth and sky, we automatically enter the spaces of the heart.  Taking your rightful place on this earth gives you the courage to lift yourself up to the wide open sky and to live a more balanced life listening to the voice of your deep inner presence.

May your intention for 2010 include the Present of your Presence!

 Saprema, (with divine love)

Heidi

Always new, hidden,
Yet old and apparent to all,
The Heart, the Ultimate
shines alone with the brilliance of the Supreme.

 ~from Sri Abhinavagupta’s Paratrisikalaghuvrttih

The power of the heart is the force behind every action or expression in an asana. 
  ~John Friend