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5 ways to give presence

18 December 2014, Comments: 0

Still looking for that perfect gift for that perfect someone?
You’re in luck!

I have the perfect gifts for you to give, your time and presence.
They are priceless.

As we ramp up to the biggest gift giving day of the year
I can’t but help but notice the chitter chatter around me.
It’s not all love and laughter, more often than not
I hear people say how stressed out
and busy they are around this time of the year
followed by “And I still need to do my christmas shopping!”.

Growing up, I looked forward to decorating the christmas tree,
eating delicious food, and opening up presents.
As an adult the gift giving has taken a back seat to
spending time, not money, with people I care about
including myself.

Last time I shared with my  5 Mindful Hibernation Tips
to spend time with your deepest desires and step into
the New Year calm and collected rather than tired and stressed out.

I’ll be honest, most years I’d jump on a plane to explore a new country
and escape the holiday frenzy in order to hibernate.
What started as an excuse to “get away” for the holidays
turned into a journey of presence.

Spending weeks alone, in another country, taught me how to be present.
Although I absolutely love the curious wonder of travel
this year I’m having a different kind of journey, being present in San Francisco.

It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos
especially being in an energized city like San Francisco.
As  a part of my personal be present journey
I decided to partake in a couple of online “be present”challenges to keep me honest.

The #justbepresent December Yoga challenge sponsored by Alo Yoga.
Although I’m an avid yogi,
this challenge has allowed me to be curious ,
explore each pose with more attention,
and have fun!

Here’s me attempting Astavakrasana (8 angled pose)
See the rest of my stream on instagram.

 

Screen Shot 2014-12-18 at 11.07.15 AM
21 days of presence sponsored by Lululemon
I love that Lululemon, one of my favorite companies,
is asking people to set aside distractions
and be present with small simple challenges.

Each day has been a reminder to slow down and be present.
And to celebrate they are hosting a Sip and Savasana party,
where I’ll be teaching a meditation class.
You all are invited, RSVP here.

Here’s one of my favorite challenges.

 

Being present has got me appreciating
this holiday season more than ever before.
The colorful lights, christmas carols at the train station,
and even the chilly nights.
I look forward to sharing my gift of presence
with my friends and family next week.


Here are my top 5 ways to gift presence this holiday season:
(Hint… it starts with you)

1. Put down the device

It sounds like I’m stating the obvious but being connected has become such habit that it takes effort to actually spend a day offline. It may be hard at first but spend one hour offline and be deeply present in a conversation with someone. Make eye contact, listen, and be all there.

2. Smile for no reason

Turn that frown upside down and smile. Smile at a stranger or simply smile for yourself. A smile can turn your day around and bring you back into the present moment. Plus smiles attract other smiles.

3. Pick up the phone and call someone

Even though we are uber connected, texts, emails, status updates and tweets have replaced the old fashioned phone call. When we are on the phone talking it forces us to be more present and engaged in the conversation. Hearing someones voice and expressing feelings and emotions through tone creates a connection far too deep for 56 characters.

4. Meditate

We can’t have a top 5 “be present” list without meditation. Spend some time alone with your thoughts and clear out the mental clutter by focusing on the breath. Being present for yourself helps you to be more present for others.

5. Be Grateful

There’s always more, different, and better but what you have right now is perfect as is. Being grateful for all that exists in your life now takes you out of the past and future and brings you to the present moment.


When you are present for yourself you gift presence to others around you.
When others attune to your presence they too become present
and just like that a ripple effect occurs.

As always don’t take my word for it.
Try it out for yourself and report back. Post your gift of presence in comments…
 

 

P.S.
I’m working on something new and exciting for you!
Meditation for Beginners
This program will help you design your
personal meditation practice with 7 Simple Steps
Contact me for more information. 

 

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