Practicing Presence
If the idea of putting your soul in charge sounds appealing, it’s likely you’re going to need to develop some new skills. Most of us have not received any training in this area; in fact, we’re often heavily indoctrinated into the art of avoiding the mystical realm. Such is the price of living in a materialistic society.
I spent decades guided by cultural conditioning, organized religion, public school and liberal university education, trauma and the resulting coping mechanisms, mainstream media, new age gurus and the advertisement industry as well as a hefty dose of rebellion against all of it. The concept of making decisions based on my soul’s guidance was so foreign as to be heretical.
I could argue that my soul might have pointed me towards some of these influences or revolutions, and that is likely true. It’s hard to say. For the most part of my life, I was plugged into my thoughts and opinions and used them as a way to avoid paying attention to the deeper layers of my being.
I was constantly chasing after sparkly objects, relationships and experiences thinking that if I only had xyz, then I’d be happy. It took quite a bit of time and some brutal self-honesty to admit that this plan was constantly failing me and I was wasting A LOT of energy.
Over the past twenty years or so, I’ve been curious about going deeper and connecting with my soul. I’ve taken all sorts of amazing classes, read loads of books, and listened to incredible podcasts about spirituality. I was quite pleased with my efforts until one day I realized I was still tapped in to external guidance!
I suspect my ego was appeasing me, pretending to be on the path, but really just thinking about the path and not actually stepping onto it. Just like reading a book about scuba diving and thinking I knew all about the ocean deep, I had duped myself. While there’s nothing wrong with spiritual learning, without application it has rather minimal impact.
Once I realized that I was mostly thinking about my soul instead of actually experiencing a connection with it, I saw that I needed to shift gears. That’s when I slowed down and learned how to be present with myself.
That’s when everything changed.
So, if you’re onboard for this soul-led journey and have declared your willingness to be guided, here’s what I suggest.
If you haven’t already, please read my post about meeting with the obstacles that you’re likely to face. Looking inwards tends to reveal all the rejected and abandoned aspects of ourselves and the archives of unexpressed emotions lurking in the crevices. It’s good to have a plan for dealing with the discomfort this might create.
Once you have some tools for regulating your nervous system tucked into your belt, make time to just be with yourself. Call it meditation or reflection if you like. The intention is to simply meet with whatever is alive in you in the moment.
Just as any new relationship takes some effort to build, so does this one. I recommend carving out 5-10 minutes every day for a devotional practice. Consistently. The rewards compound over time.
The essence of the practice is noticing what’s happening with you and within you for this time. Not trying to change of fix anything. Just a compassionate observation.
I like to start by dropping my awareness into my root center. I spend a lot of time in my head, navigating the world, and it’s good to remind myself that this body is mine to inhabit. I imagine sliding down along my spine into my pelvis. Sometimes I take the time to grow roots from there and branches from my crown, connecting with the earth and sky.
I often notice emotions bubbling up and acknowledge their presence. Then the mind kicks in with a story about why I’m feeling this way or what I can do to not feel this way or any of a million other distractions. I just come back to the feelings. As I sit with it for a few moments, it generally begins to shift organically and will frequently dissolve after having been felt.
Underneath all the thoughts and physical sensations, I can often hear the deeper voice of my soul. Sometimes it’s just a simple recognition that she’s there, this wiser, kinder, eternal aspect of myself. Sometimes she has a few words, an image, a song or, curiously, a color to share. Even a few moments of being in her presence feels like a tremendous gift and keeps me coming back day after day.
It can be tempting to think that when life calms down, the kids go back to school, this work project is complete, the meditation space is put together or the house is all clean, whatever! then that will be the perfect time to get started. As far as I can tell, life is an ever rotating array of chaos and busyness and there will be another distraction as soon as this one wraps up.
Waiting for the perfect time often means we never get started. I’m here to suggest that today is the perfect time, simply because this is the moment you are aware of. As the saying goes, a thousand mile journey begins with just one step. Why not let today be the day you take that first step?
Thanks for stopping by. Paid subscribers will find a guided meditation in honor of the upcoming full moon here. I’ll be back next week with another article.