“Be present”…heard it before. What does that even mean? Here I am! How much more present can I possibly be?
Yep, physically I was there. But on and on the mind went chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter….
I really didn’t get this “be present” stuff while I was at the ashram.
And then one day I did. I just had to make time and space for it.
I first noticed the change in the classroom last fall. Something had clicked. My students were no longer covertly texting under the desks. They were asking questions, we were talking to each other, I had their attention and they were engaged.
What had changed? Me. It wasn’t sudden, but by degree – small shifts in perspective day-by-day. Even though I was teaching a course that was new to me, I no longer felt the need to obsessively plan and prepare lectures down to the last detail. I had stopped deciding exactly what to say and how to say it before I ever entered the room. I was no longer mapping out the class schedule in minute detail. In short, I had stopped worrying about MY performance.
No wonder my students had not been engaged. I had not been engaged fully. I had been too worried about being competent, being prepared, being organized, getting the facts right, creating flashy slides, designing assignments. Not that these things don’t matter. But what’s the point if you’re not fully present at the moment of delivery?
How do you cultivate joy? Realize this: The past is fantasy. The future is fantasy. Drop the baggage of fear, avoidance, and pretense. Arrive in the present and embrace this moment as it is: Perfect.
10 comments
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May 23, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Cathy Preston
nicely said!
May 24, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Lunar Euphoria
Why thank you! Thanks for reading.
May 24, 2012 at 2:39 am
Dana
Wow, did I need to read this today. Thanks for the boost! 🙂
May 24, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Lunar Euphoria
Now offering booster shots for free.
May 24, 2012 at 5:54 pm
The Yoga Diaries
Hi there,
Do you have a story of healing or transformation with yoga that you’d like to share with the world? The Yoga Diaries is now accepting submissions. http://theyogadiaries.net/
Please spread the word!
Cheers,
The Yoga Diaries
May 25, 2012 at 2:56 am
Lunar Euphoria
…as you wish.
May 24, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Kathy
Oh wow! I love your realization. What a gift for you–and your students–and now for those of us who read your words. Thanks for stopping by my blog, and it’s been a delight to pause here with you.
May 25, 2012 at 2:59 am
Lunar Euphoria
Likewise!
June 5, 2012 at 4:16 am
Amy
I struggle with this constantly, but I’m really trying to work on it for my kids’ sake. So often I’m worrying and fretting about everything- dinner, work, housekeeping, etc., that I forget to be present with my kids and enjoy them. They do grow up so fast. I’m doing better now that I know what being present means. And as G.I. Joe says, “Knowing is half the battle!”
June 12, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Lunar Euphoria
They do grow up fast! Enjoy each moment. 🙂