In relation to: Moments of Presence

In a world that moves at a lightning speed, CULTIVATING MOMENTS OF PRESENCE can feel challenging. Many of us rush through our days — juggling jobs, commitments, to-do lists, and constant notifications that draw our focus away from JUST BEING.

In this blog post, I dive into the importance of presence, common barriers to experiencing it, and suggestions to mindfully cultivate more moments of it in our lives.

The Importance of Presence

Presence = Existence. Being present = Being in the now. Moments of Presence = Existing and engaging in / with the now. Kids and animals master this—observe them in their element, and you’ll see it clearly.

More presence allows for DEEPER CONNECTIONS with ourselves, the people around us, and the world we live in. Studies show that practicing presence can lead to increased happiness, better health, and a richer more fulfilling existence.

Everybody has their individual relationship to presence. We each access it and connect to it in our own ways; it is an ongoing discovery to finding what it is for you.

Common Barriers

Various obstacles can, and do, get in the way of us creating our moments of presence. Factors like technology, a hectic lifestyle, and internal struggles, are all examples of what may hijack our mind and body, and remove us from the present moment. It takes an intentional awareness and a willingness to prioritize moments of presence and find ways to follow through with it. Many people overlook the importance and ease in which they can go about this.

Cultivating Presence

Here are some suggestions of how to cultivate more moments of presence in your life, despite how busy or overwhelmed you may be.

And to be clear, a moment can literally be a second, a minute, or absolutely more. It’s not about the duration, it’s about the experience.

*Practice Mindfulness techniques.

It can drastically improve your ability to remain present. Practices like meditation, focused breathing, and grounding exercises can help center our thoughts and emotions.

What new technique can you try or do more of?

*Focus on gratitude.

That can shift your attention from what you lack to what you have. Acknowledging small gifts in life—like a delicious cup of coffee or a chat with a loved one—creates a sense of appreciation and presence.

Are you open to paying more attention to the gifts and blessings in your life?

*Engage in active listening.

This means being fully engaged in what someone else is saying, rather than thinking about your own response while they talk.

Try it, practice it, feel the difference.

*Spend time in Nature.

Mother Nature has a unique and profound ability to draw us back to the present. Even simply sitting outside for 5 minutes—and practicing just being in the moment—can connect us with our senses / aliveness.

Try feeling the sun-rays, or breeze, listening to the rain, or any other sounds, watching the birds, the flowers, or whatever grabs you.

What Nature connection can you invite into your life?

*Create technology-free time.

This is crucial for nurturing presence. It is too easy to reach for the phone, tablet, remote… It takes a conscious effort to bypass that and choose differently. To clarify, scrolling or watching may and can be a form of being present—if that is the focus. However, it often can distract or remove us from being fully present and immersed in a conversation or an activity or a moment of simply being.

Pay attention, stay discerning.

*Carve out the moments.

This is an important ongoing intentional action that will lead you to experiencing more and more moments of presence.

The more we practice it, the more we live it.

Create the environments, and carve the moments!! This is your life, don’t miss it.

Within Nature