Being Fully Present
During a recent workout, as I was following the direction provided by the instructor. He made the statement ” I want you to be fully present during the one hour workout.” Now understand that my workout starts between 5:00-5:30am EST six days a week. As I am stretching, I’m thinking to myself, “being fully present” what does that mean? I thought to myself, “being fully present” means being right here, right now, all the thoughts I took to bed and awoke with have to be pushed aside. It reminds me of walking into a room with nice carpet, taking your shoes off at the door and leaving them there.
Being fully present, we offer our whole selves to whatever it is that we are doing. Our attention, our integrity, and our energy are all focused in the moment and on the task at hand. This is a powerful experience, and when we are in this state, we feel completely alive and invigorated. This kind of aliveness comes easily when we are absorbed in work or play that we love, but it is available to us in every moment, and we can learn to summon it regardless of what we are doing. Even tasks or jobs we don’t enjoy can become infused with the light of being present. The more present we are, the more meaningful our entire lives become. As a former football player, being present while tackling yoga is a time that being fully present is very important. I would have never thought that yoga would be something I would do on a weekly basis. Now I see the benefit to yoga and more importantly the benefit of being fully present in all you do.
I also enjoy playing golf, that’s another atmosphere that being fully present is to your benefit, if you want to hit the ball in the sweet spot of the club face. Being fully present will assist you with making the swing that creates a crisp shot. There is no better feeling on the golf course than your playing partners saying “nice swing”. Next time you find yourself fully engaged in the moment, whether you are making art, trying to solve an interesting puzzle, or talking to your best friend, you may want to take a moment to notice how you feel. You may observe that you are not thinking about what you need to do next, your body feels like it’s pleasantly humming, or your brain feels tingly. As you enjoy the feeling of being located entirely in the present moment, you can inform yourself that you may try to recall this feeling later. You might try this while driving home or getting ready for bed, allowing yourself to be just as engaged in that experience as you were in the earlier one.
The more we draw ourselves into the present moment, the more we honor the gift of our lives, and the more we honor the people around us. When we are being fully present, we give and receive aliveness in equal measure. For today, try to be fully present in your daily activities and watch a new reality open for you. If you find that you would like to discuss this topic further, don’t hesitate to contact me. There is a Contact Form on the left side of this blog. I look forward to speaking to you.
Flourish and Prosper,
Ellery Bennett
313-590-3347
