PART III

THE PRESENT MIND 

“Forever is composed of nows.”

- Emily Dickinson

Staying Present –is a distance between you and your mind’s activity. 

Presence = pure awareness + willpower.

We can achieve this by placing attention to what each of our senses is perceiving, the emotions flowing in our inner body and our breathing - all of which already happens naturally, but can have a huge impact on us, as we focus solely on it.

According to renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who won a Nobel prize for his work on unconscious biases, the “psychological present” is a window of about 3 seconds — everything else is either past or future — here we can observe how “the thinking mind” plays a huge role in constantly separating us from these “short intervals” proposed as the measurable present moment.

Thoughts entertain us in infinite mental spirals that make us lose track or focus on things not relevant to the now, which we usually refer to as 'getting lost in thought'. 

We recognize “The Present Mind” as the here and now. 

Also known as:

a mindful place,

awareness,

“the observing mind”,

and most significantly –The Self. 

Again - this new state of awareness occurs when you actively pay attention to, and take in what you’re experiencing via your senses and/or emotions. Everything you seek is inside of you already, all you have to discover and understand is how to tune into your Truth/heart.

Tying in what we’ve discussed in the previous notes, of when certain events cause turning points that wake us – it’s important to reiterate that this shift is what OPENS (or cuts through) the layers of The Thinking Mind (the voices) straight to the core and raw layers of the Self (The Present Mind). 

So, what is it to be ‘Mindful’?

 Mindfulness is a popular term and meditative practice that has showcased the general value and healing, simple awareness exercises can provide, while learning to be still and pay attention on purpose to the things around you, breathing in the present moment, without judgement.

 To meditate does not mean your brain must be frozen.

“To be present” is something that is innate to us, but is suppressed once our Egos (aka -Thinking Minds) become dominant, which is why we have to re-learn this method of inner-peace. 

Mindfulness allows us to develop tools to help control the behaviors of the Thinking Mind, by:

• Re-learning how to breathe (through Breathwork): reminding us always to release feelings of discomfort with every exhale of our breath 
• Connecting to our hearts, through our mind. Learning to integrate our Truth detector, our heart. Returning to our center.
• Becoming an Observer vs a Reactor. Learning to explore your surroundings and conversations from a place of curiosity, softness, and acceptance instead of judgment and resistance
• And most importantly, practicing intentional Listening. Allowing ourselves to listen to our inner voice, our Truth. To receive guidance and clarity.

Using Diapason, helps us do exactly this, connect to the Present Mind.

Before we make it chime, we stop everything for a moment and let ourselves listen deep inside… looking to connect to our dreams, our desires, our Truth. 

Practicing Mindfulness helps us align our visions to this powerful tool that enables the act of intentional manifesting.

*PRACTICE VIDEO: Mindfulness Meditation | By: Sharon Salzberg, meditation pioneer and industry leader in Mindfulness

All in all, the goal of mindfulness (and tuning into ‘The Present Mind’) is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes so that we allow ourselves to experience more happiness and release impulsive judgments and negative behaviors. 

Do you see yourself as still overanalyzing or questioning every move you make or have you begun to silence the doubts and allowed yourself to believe in the possibilities of diving into the abyss?

In other words, are you living your days more in your Thinking Mind (Inner critic & Ego), your Present Mind (by expressing and embodying your Truth, your peace) or still swaying in between both?

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References:

https://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2017/06/what-is-thought.html

https://positivepsychology.com/present-moment/

https://www.mindful.org/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201112/what-is-the-mind