About 4 years after I put my shingle on the door and came out as a Food & Medical Intuitive, it dawned on me, the clear connection and guidance from Spirit I felt and enjoyed in client sessions was for the most part absent from my private life.
During my weekly bathtub meditation, I thought to ask Spirit about this. The responses are always mind shattering in their simplicity. I heard very clearly, “You are not present in the rest of your life like you are in session”. Oh Wow! That was so right!
I might have mentioned before, I tend to be a little ADD or what my Dad would call “scatter brained”. It has been hard for me to stay focused for very long on any one thing. If I plan to clean the house, I plan for a whole day. Just going for a dust rag in the laundry room can pull me off track for hours. Can you relate? I wrote about this in my prior blog “Divine Planning” that details how I overcame distraction and overwhelm to accomplish my goals. https://mailchi.mp/72f985462dee/divine-planning
In session, for some Divine Reason, I am held captive by Spirit and completely focused and present. It is not something I have to strive to do. It just is. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to even do this work if I wasn’t able to be completely present. I have to be present to be in the Presence of the Source of All knowledge and solutions. Even as words are coming out of my mouth, I can hear and feel Spirit.
I recall when I first began leading workshops and speaking in front of groups how nervous I would be. I had to practically have the entire workshop written in front of me for fear I would forget what to say or lose my place. It didn’t take me very long to realize Spirit will feed me what to say, just like in session. I only need a few notes to keep me on track. If I enter a void, I simple say, “What’s next?” and receive.
You cannot be thinking and be in The Presence at the same time. You cannot be in “receiving mode” and “thinking mode” at the same time.
Back in the tub… I said to Spirit, “Okay! I’m going to be very present now with shaving my legs”. Within a few strokes I found my mind wandering as it so often does when I’m doing “mindless” task. I retorted, “Wait a minute”! When I’m doing things that require no thinking or focus, I’m daydreaming or planning!” I wonder how many times I’ve cut myself doing this!
Side story… I was wrapping up an “Evolution of Free Health” seminar one night that only 2 attended (both doctors) because of the weather. In short, the workshop is about how the body serves us as a messenger, responder; a conduit to Source and vehicle. It IS NOT a creator. It tells us very clearly when what we are doing or thinking… creating is out of alignment with our Highest Good.
When we are in receiving mode, we can know what is out of alignment and make the correction before we need “louder knocks”. We can know what foods and supplements our body wants at any given time for maintenance and repair. We can know how to move the body and mind into right balance and enjoy our God-given health.
In summary, I said. “Does this mean we do not need doctors? NO. We came for a human experience and we will probably keep having accidents and acute situations come up”. In response to this, one of the doctors interrupted to say, “We do not have to have accidents. We have them because we are not present”. Bingo! He is right! This reminded me that in many European countries people drive without tons of traffic lights and stop signs and have very few collisions. The roundabouts are crazy! What are they doing we are not doing in the US? They are being present with driving!
I got it! The key for hearing Spirit clearly in my personal life was the ability to become present. So I began to chase presence. I started to be more present with everything. My body was one of my best tools for experiencing presence. Just the practice of grounding, brings us present with our body and Mother Earth. Being grounded in body means, your spirit body is completely in your physical body. Your physical body does not operate well if you are not grounded. It’s akin to being short-circuited.
Right now, stop what you are doing and focus on the bottoms of your feet meeting the surface you are standing own. It might help to be barefooted. Pay attention the sensation of being supported. This requires no “thinking”; just your focused attention. Do you feel the heaviness in your feet or calves? Are your feet tingling? This is your sign you are now grounded. Grounding brings with it a stable, calm feeling. Remember the feeling so you can know when you are not grounded. Anxiety is a clear sign you have stopped breathing and come ungrounded. A deep breath and grounding can clear anxiety before it escalates. Panic attacks, seizures and fainting can happen from being in an extremely ungrounded state.
Other practices I that helped me cultivate presence:
*Being present with food. Years ago I was introduced to Food Meditation with a group. In this powerful journey, with eyes closed; using all of our other senses, we fully experienced the piece of fruit we had chosen; the texture, the smell, the taste and even the memories it evoked.
Blessing, and honoring our food with our presence, allows the Source Good/God that is present in all things to be expanded. Our enjoyment without judgment allows our bodies to wring out all the good and release what it does not need. Our bodies were designed to do this! We clog the wheel of this natural digestion process with our indifference and judgment.
*Being present with handwashing dishes. I have always loved to wash dishes by hand and even more so when I’m really focused on it. There is something very soothing and calming about having my hands in a sink of warm suds. Give it try!
*Being present with holding a door handle or walking over a threshold; or locking the door. How many times have I gone back home because I wasn’t present with shutting the garage door only to find it closed!
*Being present with my feet on the damp cool earth in the middle of summer as I walk barefoot on a forest floor. My fav!
*Yoga on Mother Earth. Becoming fully aware of how the grass feels under my feet. Or, the warm tingling experience of sundrenched concrete against my body while in corpse pose. Did you know that concrete is a powerful conductor of Mother Earth’s energy?
*Becoming present with the trees as I breathe. They seem to breathe in and out with me.
*Becoming present with all the sounds around me; from the soothing movement of water, to the lawn mowers drone. Being with the noise, rather than resisting it allows all sound to become part of a peaceful meditative experience. This is what I took away from Zen meditation practice.
*Becoming present with my animal friends. One of my favorite times was bathing my precious Molly on the floor with a bucket of warm sudsy water and wash cloth. She loved the stroking and extra attention. And, I loved the feeling of her pleasure. We can miss priceless gifts in everyday activities when we are not present.
*One Minute Meditation was a powerful tool that was recommended by my mentor years ago. It has helped me and so many of my clients in different ways. One way and the focus of this blog today is honing the skill of entering into “Presence on Demand”; moving easily from “thinking mode” into “receiving mode” just by coming completely present with the breath (your spirit).
Some have completely forgotten how to breathe. Watch a baby breathe. The belly expands with the inhale and collapses on the exhale. If your shoulders rise on the inhale and the belly doesn’t move, you are not breathing effectively. For women who have been taught, it is not “lady-like” (like me) to let the belly pooch out, you may have gone your entire adult life never taking a deep breath. Under stress we tend to hold our breath. When we are learning something new, we tend to hold our breath. With practice, your response to any stress will be to breathe.
You may also set an intention to bring into the conscious mind any negative thoughts that are running you from behind. Here you have a choice and can change your mind. More on using this application of the One Minute Meditation: https://mailchi.mp/4720f7b40981/conscious-creation
If you breathe through life you will breeze through life.
The process…
Set a timer to go off every hour. Focus on deep breaths. You may want to try breathing in for a 4 count; filling the belly and bring the breath up to the head and hold for a 4 count. Then release the breath completely for a 4 count. Do this for 2 to 3 weeks or as long as it takes to develop the habit of breathing deep and through stress.
I have not stopped thinking nor would I want to. Thinking is one of the most awesome perks of being human. When you are completely aware of your thoughts, you can change them or leave them behind in an instant. Our “thinking mind” is a gift that can feel like a curse until we get control of it. Practicing presence will get you there. You will be able to enter into “receiving mode” when necessary. Before you know it, breathing through life will become your way of life and “Presence on Demand” will be easy and natural.
I pray this is helpful. If you have any questions, reach out.