Meditation Pulls Us into Presence

I was out walking doing my mantra meditation known as Japa this morning and simply relishing in being enchanted by my surroundings. At one point, I found a spot to sit down on the cool green grass and deeply focus on the sounds arising from my own lips as a cry for connection with divinity and to serve as an instrument of light and loving mercy in any way possible.

In that moment, all was well. I felt connected to the earth, to the whispering of the trees, to the squirrels who were assessing how close they could get. At one point, I opened my eyes to witness 4 ducks wandering within arm's reach of me. The more I fell into presence and awareness, the more nature responded with its own calmness, peacefulness, and joy. Whether through the animals or the people reciprocating smiles and kind greetings, the power of deep presence, awareness, and full aliveness was felt in the core of my heart.

Meditation has the power to pull us out of our lamentation over the past or anxiety over the future, grounding us in the present moment. The more I experience the power of my own personal meditation practice from a perspective of calling out to my beloved for deep presence in his loving arms, the more I connect with who I am, what my purpose is, and how I can focus best on what makes me come alive. I wouldn't be who I am today without my daily meditation practices reminding me of who I am beyond the suffering of the past or the worry of the future.

What is the key to pulling into presence in our meditation practices? For me, it has been a willingness to enter into the process with trust and faith. Whether that has been guided imagery meditations that helped me work with my anxiety and re-calibrate my PTSD through loving compassion, or kirtan leading me to dance freely and fully with my beloved, the power of pulling into deep presence is where the magic of intuition, grounding, and understanding of my next steps is forged.

It took great courage to enter into guided imagery that forced me to enter the wounds of my past. It continues to take great courage to offer my divine beloved raw vulnerability and all of my emotional messiness within my meditation practice, but the overflow of loving mercy felt as I surrender to the process with trust is beyond my capacity to describe. The best I can do is relish in the amazement of 4 ducks passing within arm's length without a worry in the world. That overwhelming peacefulness is what can support our healing journey and continuing to show up as the best versions of ourselves each and every day.

Research is showing the benefits of daily meditation practices on heart rate and blood pressure reduction, lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and improving overall cellular functioning. What I experienced today was a clear sign of what it means for meditation to drop us into vagus nerve stimulation that shuts off our fight, flight, freeze, and fawn reactionary states through connecting into full presence, slowing our breath, and focusing our minds on the moment.

Whether it is mantra meditation, guided imagery, a contemplative prayer practice, or breath work, the key is consistency and making time daily to slow down, enter into presence, and allow our higher consciousness a chance to whisper. Connecting with our higher consciousness through full presence is where the transformative power resides. The more we consciously train our vagus nerve to activate, the greater opportunity we have to practice the pause, breathe, and pull into higher consciousness during circumstances that catapult us into stress reactions. This allows us to respond more than we react, and when we respond with wisdom guiding the way, we will begin to taste the beauty of our wise inner guide working in and through us.

I have heard so many people comment, "oh, I can't meditate. My mind is too chaotic." Believe me, I have been there so many times on my meditative journey, and I am deeply grateful for having started with guided imagery as well as having a practice that pulls in song and dance. These methods are what have helped me dive deeper into my personal practice of Japa meditation with greater appreciation for its sweet and subtle power. As with any other lifestyle change, it will take time to see the fruits of the process show up in our lives. The key is to offer that restless mind gentleness as we pull it back into our meditation. Yes, the mind is restless, obstinante, and more difficult to control than the wind. But, approaching meditation with sincere desire, showing up daily with the intention of pulling into greater presence, and celebrating our small victories, we can begin to taste the nectar found in slowing down, breathing, and connecting deeply to love residing within our own hearts.

Pulling into presence pulls us into love, trust, and faith. Presence allows us to drop the masks, be real, and process all that we have been carrying with loving compassion leading the way. Presence opens perspective, allowing us to enter into the darker parts of our past, our shadow selves, and our regrets with empathy, love, and wisdom. Presence transmutes anxieties of our future into manageable action steps as we ask, "what can I do in this moment to get to where I desire to go?" When we are absorbed in the moment, there is little time for fear or anxiety to creep in. This is the power of meditation over the long term.

I am still far from where I want to be in living a life of presence, but the more I deeply feel the amazing energy of being fully alive, aware, and taking in the peace of the moment, the more I crave those moments. I sandwich my day as I choose to meditate when I wake up and before I go to bed, but with 2 different intentions. My morning intention is to deeply connect in ways that allow me to show up for the day with authenticity and integrity leading the way. My bedtime intention is an offering of gratitude and relishing in the magic of the day, no matter how small or ordinary that magic may have been. These intentions and my practice will undoubtedly continue to transform as I grow and learn, but these two intentions have been transformative in how I show up for myself and for the world around me.

What has helped you discover the ability to slow down, engage with the present moment, and calm your inner turmoil? Which meditative practices have allowed you to embrace the richness of life? How can you make it a daily habit to slow down, relish all that is around you, and offer gratitude for all you are in this moment?

A peaceful moment of meditation, captured in a gentle hand gesture adorned with black mala beads hanging from the wrist.