Lovely ladies,
The presence held by our circle yesterday was precious! I continue to be in awe of the gifts that show up when we collectively tune into the energetic field, and especially when we begin to move together!
I enjoyed sharing my experience and insights from attending Eckhart Tolle's talk in Calgary. One of the most significant insights I gained was the awareness that "striving" to be present actually (and ironically) has been serving to distract me from the present moment.
Thank-you for also sharing your insights and experiences regarding present moment awareness. There is always so much to learn from each other!
"Your relationship with the present moment IS your purpose. It is all that matters."
- Eckhart Tolle, Calgary May 15, 2018
The evening with Eckhart called me to pull out one of my favourite books, "The Presence Process" by Michael Brown. Like Eckhart, Michael teaches that presence is the portal to spiritual awakening.
Here is the excerpt I shared in class...
“Present moment awareness is a state of being as opposed to something we do. The simplest definition of present moment awareness is to be fully aware of the moment we are in - or, to be present in the moment.
The emphasis isn’t on the moment, but on the beingness we bring to bear on our life experience when we pay full attention to the moment.
A reliable indicator we have entered present moment awareness is if our experience, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable it may feel at any given moment, is infused with gratefulness.
When I speak of gratefulness, I’m not referring to the kind of gratitude that’s been founded on comparison, such as feeling grateful we are in better health or have more wealth than someone else. Neither is it the sort of gratitude that arises because life is unfolding how we want it to and everything is easy. Rather it’s gratitude that requires no reason - gratitude for the invitation, journey and gift of life itself.
Gratefulness is the one single marker we can depend on as an indicator of how present we are in our experience. When we lack gratitude for simply being alive, it’s because we have strayed from the present into an illusory mental state called “time”. In the world of time, it’s challenging to be grateful because nothing appears to unfold the way we think it should. The past holds regrets and the future the promise of improvement, while the present requires constant adjustment. We therefore spend our waking moments reflecting on what didn’t work in the past and planning those adjustments we believe are necessary to attain the peace and fulfillment we week. Because those adjustments are oriented to a “better tomorrow”, we’ve forgotten how to have a meaningful today.
Present moment awareness isn’t a concept - it’s an experience. The fact that more and more of are entering it now is a consequence of our accelerating evolution. For anyone willing to receive its blessings, its invitation is here, now, in this moment, this set of circumstances. It calls us in a silent voice that says” “STOP. THERE’S NOWHERE TO GO AND NOTHING TO DO. THERE’ SIMPLY EVERYTHING TO BE.””
I am open and willing to allow divine light to flow through me, to notice in every moment when my attachments and my stories disconnect me from this infinite flow. Each day and each moment, I aspire to do my best to cause no harm with my actions, words or thoughts; to do my best to keep my heart and mind open to nurture compassion to ease the suffering of the world; and to do the most difficult of all - to accept and embrace the world just as it is.
- a prayer I wrote (contains the three vows of Buddhism)
I felt so blessed to have been invited to a concert by Deva Premal & Miten with Manose! I had never heard them before and was simply blown away by the beauty, authenticity and energy of their performance. Here is a link to one of their songs, which we listened to and sang along to yesterday. If you would like to learn more about Deva and Miten, click here.
XO
Patti