The Lazy Yogi

I say it a lot, don’t I? “Be present, yadda yadda” and I’m sure it gets to the point where it’s more of a thought on the mind than a reality. It is important to make clear what Presence actually is. Being present is the essence of mindfulness. It is mindfulness. 

Being present means you are in touch with reality as it is. Reality is what exists now in the form of this moment, everywhere. Your mind can remember the past and contemplate the future but neither are real, nor are your mind’s ponderings accurate reflects of either. 

The present is the only moment in which you actually exist. All things and all change happens in the present. 

Therefore to be present means to let go of your intense focus on the mind and instead be exactly where you are as you are. When you are present you can feel your own presence. You are here, attentive, silent, listening and waiting but with complete relaxation and surrender. 

Resting the attention on the feeling of your body or the rhythm of your breath are useful tools for entering the moment. Your mind and your breath only exist Now. Attending to them will help you settle into the moment. 

The more present you become, the more you will discover it as your natural state. Eckhart Tolle does a great job of describing the phenomenon of Presence in his book The Power of Now. 

We can talk endlessly about this or that but the only way you will come to know presence and be able to ask the right questions is by becoming present yourself. Become still and you will know. 

Namaste :)