“When you … fall into presence … you know it instantly, feel at home instantly. And being home, you can let loose, let go, rest in your being, rest in awareness, in presence itself, in your own good company.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn
Think back to the holidays last year. Can you recall the joy and frustrations, the peace and nourishing connections? Most people cannot.
So often we show up, but we are not really present in what we are experiencing. We dash around getting things done, but we do not pay attention to what we are doing. We eat without awareness of our hunger and fullness signals. We swallow our food without really tasting it. We push ourselves to go on when we need to rest. We interact without really connecting.
As the new year approaches, imagine experiencing the rest of the month with such exquisite awareness that the joys, frustrations, peace, and nourishing connections may easily be recalled one year later. Imagine being able to be awake to what is and fully present to each moment, despite commitments and life’s pressures.
Imagine truly tasting what there is to be tasted, seeing what there is to be seen, sharing what there is to be shared, and feeling what there is to be felt.
Imagine giving yourself and those around you the gift of presence.
[private_membership circle]Slow down. Fully commit to mindful eating. Mindful resting. Mindful connecting. Plan your day so that you have the space (physical, spiritual, and otherwise) to be present. Study those cookies and pick the exact one – or ones – that will bring you satisfaction and joy. As you talk with the people at the office party or family gatherings, mindfully give them the gift of your presence.
Sit, and deeply feel your broken heart, recalling losses and those who are missed. Breathe. Smell the turkey from the kitchen, the cold in the air, the fire in the fireplace. Listen. Hear the laughter of children, the wind in the trees, the stillness
Each of these moments is a precious gift. Wrap each gift as if it is the only gift. With the present of presence, hold in your heart the love, the nourishing connections, the landscape. Show up to yourself and for yourself and for others, fully.
Affirming Statement: I give myself and my loved ones the gift of mindful presence.
Nutrition therapists Amy Tuttle, RD, LCSW and Karin Kratina, RD, PhD provide no-diet articles and resources including “Stay Attuned: The E-zine for Nourishing Connections” at their Nourishing Connections website. www.nourishingconnections.com
[/private_membership circle]
