The Creative Power of Presence
“When you take your attention into the present moment, a certain alertness arises. You become more conscious of what’s around you, but also, strangely, a sense of presence that is both within and without.” Eckhart Tolle
Reading these words draws me ever more deeply into the Now.
It’s a subtle yet immensely significant shift to gather my focus whenever thoughts about projects and priorities gain momentum and lure me into infinite future possibilities.
Returning to the present moment feels blissfully like coming home to my Self, and when the alertness naturally re-surfaces, I’m able to re-establish presence as the sea in which I anchor my actions once more.
A State of Being
What feels so significant to me about this particular quote is the fact that Tolle directs your awareness to the sense of presence that is simultaneously within you and seemingly outside you too.
Ultimately there’s no difference between the two.
His words act as pointers to the realization that the state of presence is not just an intellectual concept; you can’t just think about being present and expect to experience the transformation in perspective it provides.
Presence is a state of being that you experience and feel (and increasingly Know at every level) through which the true nature of reality is revealed as the Source of all things – including you!
The Paradox of Presence
The paradox of presence is the inherent stillness that blends seamlessly with the spontaneous and eternal arising of the creative impulse of life itself.
That blend of tranquillity and “aliveness” is where you discover the true creative power of presence.
It’s what I’m referring to when I write about immersing yourself in the present moment and aligning yourself fully with the creative flow of life.
When you’re in this state of being, insights, ideas and words arise from the unlimited potential of all that has yet to manifest and take form as they pour through you into the world.
This is the “conscious” in Conscious Writing, and it’s why Presence is the first – and the most important – of the 7 Core Principles.
Dive In
- Sit quietly, ideally outside in nature if conditions allow, and gather your attention by focusing on your breathing through the rise and fall of your belly with each inhale and exhale.
- Drop your awareness more deeply into your body with the intention of inhabiting your body consciously and fully.
- Send your attention to each area of your body in turn. This might trigger feelings of warmth or tingling but don’t worry if you don’t notice anything initially, that’s fine too.
- Expand your awareness to feel the sense of aliveness within your whole body and open to realize the fullness of being in this moment of Now; immerse yourself fully in that.
- Abide in this state until you’re done. When your mind wanders, simply bring it back to your breathing, to the aliveness in your body, and back to the ocean of being that is presence.
This is a simple stand-alone practice for you to accustom yourself to what it feels like to be present in the moment.
It’s increasingly effective when repeated regularly and with practise you become progressively more able to continue being present for each and every moment of the day.
Of course the practice can also be used as a wonderful preparation for any kind of creative work, including writing.
Enjoy!
What are your thoughts and feelings about the creative power of presence? Please share your comments or ask a question below. Thank you 🙂
Lovely article Julia. It describes my experience well, of simply being somewhere quiet, breathing and feeling the presence of the body and of nature.
Thank you Bren, I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it to resonate with your own experience which you’ve described beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
I drop into the present moment when I am watering the garden in the cool of the evening, hearing the sound of the water, the birds, seeing the plants and flowers being grateful for a drink. I no longer see it as a chore but as my evening meditation at sunset. pure magic!
Yes, I know just what you mean Jeanine! I love the evening watering ritual and feeling the awe of sunset skies blessing the whole process. I’ll think of you as I’m out there watering the vegetable garden tonight 🙂
Recently I blitzed my study to clean out the mess and create a special place for a writing ritual with incense and candle burning, meditation music and stillness. I did it once, and had a wobble caught up in everyday things. today, being sunday and I’m at home, i’ve returned to your course and starting again alongside your book as well.
That’s great to hear Beth; having a special place and a ritual of some kind that’s repeated often helps to open up the internal space for creativity to flow freely. I wish you every joy inhabiting your newly cleared space for Conscious Writing and more!