Mastering the Art of Presence

We live in times of constant distraction, unsollicited notifications and information overload. How many times have you found yourself in a situation where your body was present but your mind was 'elsewhere' (especially during a conversation)?

This happens to me very often, and I feel guilty about it. Hence my quest to learn more about 'Being Present' by exploring, experimenting and experiencing it.

Some call it 'Mindfulness'. Some call it the 'Power of Now'. Others call it 'Being in the Moment'. I call it The 'Art of Presence'.

Here are some of my humble realizations & key take aways from exploring Presence:

Take Away 1 - Presence precedes clarity - Presence allows me develop clarity of mind. How? It allows me to clear my mind, focus my thoughts and access my inner resources at will. Presence enables me to be more intentional in my actions. It allows deeper connection with people (including myself). It allows me to respect, listen & communicate effectively.

Take Away 2 - We are always present to something - Actually, we are never absent. Our mind is always focused on something (be it our own thoughts, listening to music, watching TV, having a conversation, scrolling social media). This is a huge awareness for me. When our mind wanders, the question to ask is - What am I present to now?

Take Away 3 - There are 3 levels of presence - By levels, i mean perspectives and directions of our presence. In my view, the 3 levels are:

• Level 1 - Present to the moment - i.e. I am in the Now (with a clear mind). This means I blank my mind through mindful observation and/or breathing. I am able to slow down my thoughts and access a grounded state of stillness. I have found meditation and yoga to be powerful activities to access 'Level 1 of Presence'.
• Level 2 - Present to myself - i.e. I am connected to my thoughts, emotions, intuition and actions. I am listening to my inner voice and i am present to my inner resources. And in my humble opinion, this is the space where we spend most of our times - in our own inner world, with our minds racing with thoughts & feelings. To pause, and step out of this frame, ask yourself this question: What am i thinking or feeling in this moment?
• Level 3 - Present to others - i.e. I am aware of and connected to people around me. I build rapport and listen to people by bringing my full awareness to them. I connect deeply, listen intently and maintain myself on the same 'wavelength' with the person. Here what helps is the being aware of our body language (i.e. physiology - gestures, postures and expressions), listening with the intent to understand (rather than replying back) and being genuinely interested in the person.

Take Away 4 - We are constantly switching between these 3 levels of Presence - Being aware of when we switch levels during the day is the key to mastering the Art of Presence. Be aware when you switch off from level 3 to level 2 by being conscious of changes in your attention, breathing, thoughts and feelings. This meta awareness is the key to choose consciously and with intention which level is most relevant in the situation.

Take Away 5 - Each level of Presence is equally important - None is better than the other. But it all depends on the context / situation. What is also important is to be aware of our triggers or stimuli which induces a change in our level of presence.

Nonetheless, we are human And being human means our minds will often sway from conversations or during meditation. By cultivating presence, we are able to offer to ourselves and to people we engage with the powerful gift of being seen, heard and loved.

So my question to you - What are you present to now?