Reclaim Your Powerful You! – Day 2
Exercise: Tools Needed: A quiet space, a comfortable place to sit or lay down, a watch or timer Note: You can do this exercise alone or with others. Feel free to sit or lay down, but don’t worry about results or have to’s – the intention is to practice the simplicity of being present. The most important piece is to be gentle with yourself.
In this exercise of cultivating quietude, you will simply allow and open yourself to the present moment; no seeking, asking, trying, or grasping. Simply allowing and being.
Find yourself a quiet space – anywhere from a parked car to a peaceful garden to a quiet room. Get comfortable either sitting or laying down. Set your timer, or note the time on your watch – you want to enter quietude for just 3 to 5 minutes (or longer if this is familiar and easy for you.).
Bring awareness to your heart, take several slow, deep breaths and close your eyes. Allow yourself to just breathe and be. Keep allowing, breathing, being. In this cycle of dropping in to presence you may notice information, thoughts, sensations, and even discomfort. All is perfect, you are safe. Allow, breathe, be. Continue staying present – allowing, breathing, being – until your time with present quietude is complete. Developing a practice of presence is just that – practice. Like any new skill, the more you practice, the easier it gets and the more skilled you become. Learning presence – or mindfulness – can be applied to any moment, of course. Yet it is easiest to establish your skill in the sacred space of quietude, like learning to play a musical instrument is best without the radio or television on.
