Being Present: Anchoring Your Awareness in the Now
Leave Behind Regrets of the Past and Worries About the Future
Being present means grounding your attention fully in the current moment rather than getting distracted by what has already happened or what is to come. From a spiritual perspective, when we are present, we transcend limiting identifications and experience life more directly.
Bringing present, moment-to-moment awareness of routine activities is a gateway to awakening.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
When we stop chasing fulfillment in the past and future, we discover it lies right here in the present unfoldment of life. Regularly returning the mind to now cultivates clarity, peace, and vibrant living.
BUT! How does this happen? If we effort to do, we are dealing with past/future. If we want to change our experience from this to that, we reject our present experience, which is the foundation of ego activity.
The answer is simple – get curious about your immediate experience without wanting to change it. Inquire into it. Explore it. When you explore your experience to understand it, you are in the NOW. LIfe, reality is dynamic. Things change! You don’t have to make them change; they’ll change independently. Inquiry will free you from the past, and reality will unfold, presenting its riches.
Discovering Your Essential Presence
Being present means being aware of one’s essential presence, which is the core of our true nature. This essential presence is the source of all feelings and determines the journey one is on. Presence is more than just being present in general; it is about recognizing the specific quality of presence manifesting, whether it be the Strength Essence, the Love Essence, the Will Essence, or others. This precision is crucial for understanding one’s experience and moving effectively through life’s journey.
The unfoldment and maturation of the soul are experienced and understood only in the present moment by being fully present. Any time we are not anchored in the now is considered wasted in terms of soul development, as there is no real presence or aliveness in moments when we are distracted or caught up in mental process. Our true age and wisdom are determined by how much time we have dwelled in real presence.
The concept of self-realization points to fully realizing and recognizing oneself as pure presence, beyond identifications with the body, emotions, or thoughts. Being consciously aware of oneself as presence is the central characteristic of awakening to one’s true nature.
Cultivating Moment-to-Moment Awareness
The practice of being present stems from recognizing presence as the fundamental ground of reality. It involves surrendering to each moment just as it is arising and trusting the process of life to unfold perfectly. AND, you can’t surrender. Surrender is not a doing. Ego can’t surrender.
Being fully in the now means meeting your experience with curiosity and acceptance rather than comparison or judgment. It means not getting caught up in mental narratives about what is occurring. Instead, you inquire into the truth of what is actually happening.
“Wherever you are, be there totally.” – Eckhart Tolle
Being fully present goes beyond just being aware of the content of your experience in the moment. It is recognizing the now-ness itself – the aliveness and immediacy always here. This direct in-touchness with the moment is simultaneously an in-touchness with your presence.
When you are being present with your unfolding experience without resistance, there is contact between this aware presence and whatever is happening internally or externally. This meeting leads to expanding awareness and consciousness, wisdom and compassion.
Obstacles to Being Present
It takes practice to sustain presence because the mind habitually pulls us out of the now. When you are not being present in your activities, it is often a reflection of not being present internally. Being too busy and active prevents you from recognizing what is really here in this moment.
According to spiritual teachings, the world is a place of suffering when we are not present and a place of fulfillment when we dwell consciously in the now.
The Journey of Settling into Being
Learning to dwell in presence is a lifelong journey. With patient practice, you can unhook awareness from the tendency to relive the past or anticipate the future and come home to the aliveness of now.
When you find yourself distracted, gently return to the power and potential of this timeless moment. Stay open and receptive to whatever is arising within and around you. With commitment, being present can become your natural lifestyle rather than just a concept.
As you mature in presence, thinking about being present falls away. You are simply present without effort or artifice. This contentment is only conceptualized when it is absent – when you have lost connection with the now. When presence is natural, you do not feel its absence, so it is never conceptualized or made into something special. There is only effortless being.
Being present is simple but difficult in our fast-paced, thinking-centered world. Yet it is only through anchoring in the now that you come home to your essential nature beyond ego – your true presence. Keep surrendering to the life that is unfolding here and now. Each step leads you deeper into who you truly are.
Going with the FLOW!
And being curious to know it more intimately!
IN OUR WORK in the Diamond Approach, we do many kinds of meditations and spiritual practices. One of the practices we emphasize is being present because it is important in so many ways. Most people are lost in time—with memories of the past or plans for the future—and are lost in the mind. Being present means being in your experience differently than you normally are as you go about your life—that is, in a less distracted condition that enables you to hear better, receive better, feel better, and be more aware of your experience. When we talk about being present, we mean being fully aware of yourself in this moment—you are here in the situation, in the experience, instead of being lost in time and completely taken over by your concerns. You are present in the moment; you are feeling the moment; you are aware of what is happening in the now. – The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life, ch. 1
- When brushing your teeth, feel the sensations of the bristles and the minty foam instead of planning the day.
- Listen attentively in conversation with a friend without rehearsing what you say next or judging their words.
- While walking, pay attention to each footfall and the sights and sounds around you rather than getting lost in thought.