Learn how to make the most of the present moment and give the gift of presence to those you love.
In Part 4 of the Mortal Wisdom Series I’ll discuss how to develop the skill of Presence to use in your personal life and work. Presence is the secret of living fully in every moment and you’ll learn how to enhance your ability to stay focused and present in day-to-day life. These are the lessons we can learn from our mortality and how to thrive in life while knowing that death awaits. Listen to Parts 1, 2, and 3 first if you haven’t heard them yet!
This episode includes:
- Presence is an essential skill for working with dying patients
- Many dying patients seem to have a new-found ability to focus on the present and appreciate each moment
- According to Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn presence is the ability to align body, mind, spirit, emotions in a single focus on the here and now
- Being fully present with a patient or a loved one allows us to create a sacred space within which healing and transformation can occur
- Steps for developing the skill of presence:
- Create time (5 minutes) and space for stillness each day
- Tune in to your physical body
- Breathe deeply with intention
- Allow emotions to arise without attaching to them
- Let thoughts drift by
- Practice total focus during small moments e.g. eating a special food, watching a sunset, listening to music, spending time in nature, being with a loved one
- The experience of awe has these benefits
- Greater humility (and less ego control)
- Increased social harmony and interconnectedness
- Improved immune health
- Decreased anxiety
- Increased wellbeing and happiness
- Daily AWE Practice:
- I am Awake in this moment
- I am Willing to experience and accept whatever life brings in this moment
- I am Engaged fully in living my life moment to moment
When someone is about to die, if you sit with him stably and solidly, that alone may be enough to help him leave this life with ease.
– Thich Nhat Hahn
Links mentioned in this episode:
- End Game Documentary available for community screenings
- Mortal Wisdom Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
- The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hahn
- Article about research on awe
- Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu
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