Awakened Presence: The art of being here now
The present, even with all its challenges and frustrations, is the greatest gift we have, but one which we so often squander because we are disconnected, or distracted, or caught up in the past or future.
If you are constantly thinking about the past or worrying about the future, you give away an enormous amount of energy – your life force energy – and you miss out on the opportunities of the present. When you place your attention fully in the present, you have more energy to bring to your life and in so doing you expand your experience and your consciousness. This is the true power of now!
Being present in the moment is one dimension of presence. But there is a deeper dimension of presence, which is about fully embracing your very existence in the here and now. This is the foundation for being fully embodied and grounded in your being.
This is what I call Awakened Presence.
The spiritual dimension of presence
It’s often said: “We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” This is true, but it’s important that to have the human experience, you fully embrace being in human form – in a human body, in your particular body, and in your specific life circumstances. This is what it takes to integrate the spiritual and human aspects of experience.
Awakened presence starts with being fully in the body so that your experience here on the Earth plane is an embodied experience. Your body is the vehicle for the life that you are in. It is the container for your spirit and the perfect instrument for your soul’s evolution. The Earth plane is the greatest arena for spiritual evolution and expansion of the soul and you need to be fully present in this arena to realise the magnificent potential for expansion and evolution.
Aspiring to higher levels of consciousness – or Ascension – before you are fully present in your physical form is going to be tough sledding. On the other hand, if you are consciously embodied and present, it’s much easier to harness your energy and soul strength to live your life to its full potential and soar to great heights.
Sometimes this spiritual aspect of presence is hard because you may not actually want to be in your body, or in your life, or on the planet. Many ‘spiritual’ people have difficulty being in the world because they feel different, or they are sensitive to its imbalances and toxins, or the density is just plain difficult. Some of us remember the unconditional love that we have experienced in other realms, and the separation is painful.
All these factors can result in resistance to life on Earth, which makes being fully present very challenging.
Commitment to your incarnation
Integrating the part of you that doesn't want to be here takes time. It has many layers to it. In my experience, the answer lies in making a conscious commitment to this incarnation.
What does it mean to be committed to this incarnation?
It means to embrace the life that you have, the path that you have taken so far, and the path that you are on, including all the heartache, the losses, and the things you regret. Once you fully accept your life circumstances and accept that where you are is a complex result of past choices, you can make a clear choice to participate in your life, and therefore your destiny, from a place of choice rather than being a victim of circumstance or fate.
Making a commitment to your life starts with making peace with being here, now, in this body, with all your life experiences until this moment. And for some, this means accepting being here on the Earth plane, in the density of this dimension, and not in the lighter realms.
While making this commitment is a conscious choice, there is also an element of surrender in being fully present. This is a form of Radical Acceptance, which makes way for Awakened Presence – two concepts that go hand in hand.
From soul exit to embodied presence
Disconnecting from the embodied experience is a common pitfall on the spiritual path. It is common to leave the body during meditation, for example. This can be a form of resistance or avoidance, as we enjoy the ‘lighter’ vibrations of being freed from the density of physical form. But your focus and soul energy are needed here, now and disconnecting dilutes your energy and power.
An alternative to this soul exit tendency is to change your intention: become aware of when you want to spiritually leave and change your intention to bring your full awareness and soul energy to the present moment. In this way you can embody the higher vibrations that you connect to through your spiritual practice and ground these higher energies on Earth. This is much needed at this time of rapidly evolving consciousness.
Presence through grounding
Grounding is the foundation of being in physical form. The more grounded you are, the more easily you’ll be able to experience Awakened Presence. Think of your grounding as the anchor – the thing that anchors your energy and consciousness into physicality and tethers your soul to the present moment.
There are three dimensions of grounding:
Embodiment – This dimension of grounding means to be fully connected to the physical body and consciously living in physical form. If you are in your body, you can fully experience life and all it has to offer, both that which is enjoyable and that which is challenging.
Earthing – This dimension of grounding means being connected to the Earth and the consciousness of Gaia. This connection allows you to take in life force energy from the Earth. If you’re not grounded, you are cut off from this vital energy source. It also gives you a heightened awareness that you are part of the Earth.
Embracing – The spiritual dimension of grounding means being fully incarnated and embracing the soul’s choice to be incarnated in physical form at this time. Your soul’s purpose is to live consciously and fully experience life on the Earth plane; to understand this dimensional reality and learn from these experiences. Your soul growth and expansion will be faster if you are fully present and committed to this incarnation.
This multidimensional approach to grounding will help you feel more deeply anchored and centred in your being. What is more, if you can anchor your being in this incarnation, you will be in a stronger position to anchor higher frequencies on the Earth plane and in this way help to raise the vibrational frequency of the collective.
Presence through the breath
In every spiritual tradition, the breath is recognised as life force energy – or prana. Not only does it sustain life in the physical body, but through the breath we connect to the body and become present in the moment. Through the breath, we also connect to the universal field of consciousness.
Breath is really the flow of life force energy. We can imagine our life as a series of breaths between birth (the first in breath) and death (the last out breath) as consciousness moves from one state to the next state. The degree of presence in this process is up to us. We can continually enhance Awakened Presence through conscious, or mindful, breathing.
Although breathing is an unconscious process (we do it even when we’re asleep or unconscious), conscious breathing has many benefits. Firstly, most of us breathe too shallowly – learning to breathe more deeply has many health benefits, including oxygenating our cells more efficiently and enhancing metabolic function. Secondly, focusing on the breath instantly brings us into the present moment. Connecting to the breath also connects us to the body and to the sensory experience of physical form. And lastly, mindful breathing brings a sense of calm and inner stillness and can help to dispel anxiety and fear.
Four keys to Awakened Presence
Awakened Presence takes intention, focus and practice. The mind will constantly try and pull you into the past or the future. This is the nature of mind. Acknowledge it’s nature and role and remember that Awakened Presence starts with a choice to work with what is.
Here are four keys to cultivating Awakened Presence:
Key 1: Radical acceptance – Accept what is in every moment. This entails an ever-present awareness of when you are resisting or rejecting what the moment brings.
Key 2: Conscious breath – Consciously connect with your breath. This is a practice in mindfulness, which relaxes the nervous system and enhances embodied presence.
Key 3: Multidimensional grounding – Work on your grounding to anchor yourself in your body and connect to the Earth. This is a powerful energetic practice.
Key 4: Spiritual commitment – Embrace your life and this incarnation. This is a choice, a commitment and an act of surrender.
© Heather Linn, 2023