In a world filled with noise and motion it can be hard to find those moments to just ‘be’. Having said that even when those moments of stillness or quiet present themselves it’s very likely that we are habituated not to really spot them because we have become so used to engaging with the constant activity of the modern life and a busy mind.
Eckhart Tolle speaks of the present moment of now, which is, of course, every single moment, and he invites us to consider ‘how present am I in this moment?’ Going beyond the external quiet and stillness, the true search is for the inner stillness.
It’s the inner stillness that gives us real access to ‘being’ and it’s being that opens us to true presence. Getting to the inner stillness takes work for most of us because it’s about being able to be in that state regardless of the outer factors. Getting there is not only a physical stillness though that is important – overcoming the little ‘ticks’ of leg jiggling, or finger tapping, or inner impatience. It’s also about emotional stillness and mental stillness.
In Psychosynthesis, there is a really powerful technique called ‘disidentification’ which, if practised regularly, can help us to do what it says on the tin – disidentify. From what you might ask? From the constant running of our habits, emotions, physical and mental tensions by helping us to sense into a higher aspect of who we are – our beingness. It does take practise, and it also pays dividends in helping us to maintain an equilibrium that withstands many levels of provocation.
If we can go out into the world each day from with this deeper equilibrium, we stand a much greater chance of being truly present to ourselves, to the situations we encounter and with the people we are engaging with. The power of presence is that it enriches, it supports creativity, and it connects. That feels like a powerful gift on all levels.