The Power of Presence-How to live with less pain, more joy and enduring peacefulness.

"The greatest gift you can give is the quality of your presence". - Richard Moss

The more you live in the present moment, the greater your opportunity to transform your life from a stuck painful place to one embodying ease and peace.

What is the Ego? What prevents us to go beyond our illusions?

Being present in this very moment encourages you to detach from the ego and the constructs it builds from past and future thoughts. The Ego's aim is to keep you identified with a certain "me" it creates from past experiences, and conditioning. So we come to believe we are our titles, our status in society, our traumas of the past, our cars, homes, bank accounts and even our diseases. You thus fall asleep to your true, or higher Self. A Self that needs nothing to exist. It doesn't need praise, discouragement, antagonism or constant approval. The higher Self is pure awareness, experiencing everything as an observer and unconstrained being.

The power of presence has become one of my main focuses in my work and life. If we can incorporate more and more moments of just "being" instead of doing we are offered an immense opportunity to truly awaken to the blessings at hand.

How much has passed you by because you became enthralled by negative states and thoughts? How much of that thinking was based in the past or future?

So you are living in illusions, with events that either do not exist any longer, or haven't even manifested. The moment I realized I was doing this I couldn't believe how insane it truly is to live that way.

That is why we experience pain, suffering, "dis-ease", and all that is opposing our true peace filled Self. We may then hurt others and project the pain, because all too often it becomes unbearable to sustain ourselves. We may neglect our own needs because the Ego will convince you, you need to be liked, and approved by others. We begin to own other's baggage with feelings of guilt and self blame because again we are fiercely scared we may lose all the supposedly "unconditional" love given to us.

This is our true pain. It is our separateness from our Source, and if I may, God. Every time we lose our Core Connection to that Source, the One that creates and gives life to everything, we feel pain. It's really that simple. We are never separate from God. It is only that we fall asleep and lose awareness of the Presence.

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How to Become Present: 3 Simple Practices:

One great thing about being present, is that we realize how blessed and amazing our lives really are. Staying stuck in the past or anticipating the future keeps us in a state of dissatisfaction and we easily lose perspective of all the abundance already present in our lives.

1) Stop/Pause:

Take 5. Drop everything, shut it all off, and just be. Make it a habit to just take a 5 minute pause twice in your day, and feel your body, your breath and check in to see what is happening inside. You can also pause just before you leap out of bed, before starting the ignition, before you take the first bite of your lunch, or just before you say something in a moment of conflict. It is not as time consuming as you may think, it just requires regular practice and effort.

2) The Breath:

This is the cornerstone of everything. It literally is. The breath is what animates you, a direct link to your inner being, and physiologically, a key tool to relax the central nervous system and adrenaline stress response. Breath from below the belly button, inititating the inhale there and allow the chest to fill and follow. Exhale in the opposite manner, allowing the chest to fall and then contract the lower abdomen.

Breath into your pain, whether its physical, mental or emotional. Being present with uncomfortable sensations gives us the opportunity to feel what is really going on, and not suppress the emotional state. You grow to realize that pain is fleeting, a momentary thing and not your essential Self. You come to your most compassionate self when you can just allow yourself to be human.

3) Prayer/Meditation:

In prayer we find the opportunity to forgive, accept ourselves and others, and practice gratitude. These three things are based on love. They are what heals our wounds, our suffering, and our physical illnesses.

In prayer and meditation you can let go, of your judgement, your anger, your guilt, your need to defend and realize there is a higher path. One that enables you to see how blessed and love filled you already are. Once we come to this place, then we can share and offer that outwardly, creating positive change and transformation in our lives and with those we love.

Wishing you many moments of the now,

Namaste

Piera

How to Breath to Beat the Blues

Depression is the big D word lately. It appears that this ominous condition is reaching epidemic proportions in north American populations. In practice I would say that at least 50% of my clients have encountered some form of depression in their lives and have proceeded to take pharmaceutical medications to cope with their struggles. It also appears not to have any discretion for age or sex. I've treated young teenage girls and boys right to retired seniors.

Q: What is depression? Why is it seemingly so invasive in our western society today?

A: Loss of Core Connection Plain and simple.

Walk down the street in any downtown North American metropolis and just observe city folk. I do this often as I walk extensively everyday. There seems to be a void in many people's faces. An emptiness that is so pervasive you can't miss it and not think "Why do people look so absent, almost robotic ?". It seems people are very closed off emotionally, to the point that I have witnessed just this past month someone pass out on the sidewalk and no one even flinching in reaction to help.

We have lost our connection to our inner PRESENCE. Our source of all JOY. In essence our CORE CONNECTION has been blocked, suppressed, and neglected by our MIND'S and the conditions we have placed on ourselves. Conditions based on limitations and learned patterns of belief by our parents and society.

Your inner joy is ALWAYS present. Your CORE is the source of all your creation. All your circumstances, experiences and manifestations are dependent on your center. The circumference does not determine your HAPPINESS. The circumference does not determine how rich or poor you are, your career satisfaction, the quality of your friendships and intimate relationships, nor how much you weigh.

YOUR CORE determines all of that. When you live from the truth of your core, you manifest abundance from the core.

So yes depression is real. But primarily in the MIND and mainly from the mental constructions we build based on past conditions and limitations.

Feelings and emotions of sadness, apathy, greif, anixety, anguish and many others are also very real. But they are not PERMANENT. They are transient. To emote means to move, transition, or change. Your feelings are not YOU. You experience them, and you feel them, but they are not your CORE truth. It is when we IDENTIFY with our emotions that we suffer, feel threatened, less than, insecure and above all FEARFUL.
Eckhart Tolle is a living success story of how intense depression can be healed. He reached the point of contemplating his own life on numerous occasions. Until one day, he literally awakened to the insight that perhaps all of the depressive thoughts were not him. But were the fabrications of a mind riddled with egoic contentions, pain bodies and false beliefs based on external forms.

Your inner truth is not a tangible form. It is the living force that animates you. It gives you bliss, enlivens you, animates your whole being and never betrays you. Your mind on the other hand has another agenda. Your mind is the processor or CPU that will absorb anything you program it with. We are all prone to negative conditioning and so therefore keeping the mind free of these "viruses" is almost impossible. But if we can detach from the mind, and the conditioned thought processes then we can CONNECT to the living eternal truth within!

But how???? I can just hear you all scream.

Start with the BREATH! Your only choice really.

It is the direct link to the inner living truth and knowing we all possess. When you perform breath work you come to an awareness of your inner stillness. When we get still enough we are then able to hear the all knowing voice of our inner sage. We come to know that EVERYTHING is ok, and perfect just as it is. Because we feel the JOY of our eternal CORE being that can't be bought or substituted by anything else.

How to Breath to Beat the Blues:

• Set aside at least 10 minutes to be in complete stillness and quiet. Just before you go to bed or 10 minutes before hopping out of bed is best.

• Sit your butt down on that cushion and come to an awareness of your breath. Listen to the quality of your breath at first without changing anything. How do you breath? Where is the breath initiating? How does your upper, middle and lower abdomen move in relation to the inhalations and exhalations? Once you know how you breath, then you may explore and proceed to lengthen the breath and deepen it.
  

• In the beginning I would suggest that you choose 2 words that you mentally say , one for the inhale and the second for the exhale. I.e: In/out, Ah/Om, or calm/release.

• Pay attention to the pauses between each inhale and exhale.

• Follow the breath every inch of the way. Meaning: be aware of the full inhale, pause, then feel the full exhalation and don't rush to begin the next breath. Feel it in its ENTIRETY.

These are basic tips to assist you with mediation and your breathing practice.

In future posts I will expand on more breathing exercises and share my knowledge of Pranayama- or the yoga of breath.

For now, I wish you stillness, bliss and love

Namaste

Piera

5 simple ways "Program" Your Body to Heal, Stay Young and Thrive!

Stress ages us. It comes in numerous forms. From overworking or staying in jobs we don't like. Stress in the form of toxins we inhale, ingest and absorb from the environment and foods we eat. Stress due to dysfunctional relationships, family issues and loss. Or the stress of financial burdens or never feeling we have enough.

The body feels it ALL. Everyday we have a choice to accept our experiences or not. We can manage stress or let it manage us. How do you fare in this department?

Stress profoundly impacts your mind, body and deeper higher self. Everytime you tell yourself something negative with self reproaches or put downs, you are informing EVERY CELL in your body how unworthy and awful they are.

Think about that! Every cell, every atom every molecule of your being is keenly aware of its energetic environment. Which is EVERYTHING. If energy is everything, and everywhere, and everyone then your thoughts, feelings, actions, WORDS and beliefs are PURE ENERGY as well.

How do you speak to yourself? What kind of language are you using on a regular basis with yourself and others? Start to pay attention to this! You are programming every cell of your body each time you think a thought, feel a feeling, say a word, or repress it all.

I often give the example of how we speak to children and infants. When not screaming at them for being naughty, we would never intentionally hurt them or abuse them in any way, shape or form.


So why do we do that to OURSELVES?

Have you said any of the following to yourself?:

• Your are so dumb, you can't get anything right
• Your fat and ugly. Or " I have such a fat butt, my abs are gross, or I look like a cow!"
• I can't do anything because of my pain, ailment, disease. Life is so unfair!
• My parents, my spouse, my friends are to blame for my crap.

Where does the power lie in all of that negative talk? It's not within you when you place it on the external.

5 ways to "Program" Your Body to Heal

The following are all mind body spirit tools to enable Core Connection Healing.

1. Visual Guided Meditation

Make time to sit or lie down in stillness and quiet. Find a space you feel safe and not distracted. Close your eyes and just get creative! Visualize your whole body flooded with healing light. Or if you are struggling with an illness or disease, VISUALIZE the cells of your organs or place of pain healing, getting stronger and more vibrant. Send the energy of the universe to whatever area needs your love and attention. The more often you go inwards and see yourself healing from within the stronger your immunity gets and overall vibration.

Book suggestion:

I highly recommend reading the book SPIRIT, BODY, HEALING by Michael Samuels- A doctor and modern day living Shaman. The whole book teaches the power of visualization to heal and overcome disease states. He gives detailed accounts of patients with debilitating and terminal illnesses and how so many found healing and new found realities with visualization practice.



2. The Art of Pausing

Stop yourself. I mean literally stop your actions, body and thought processes, especially in those moments when you get so riled up you think the world will collapse on you. Just stop, close your eyes and go inwards. Begin to intercept the anxiety, frustration, sense of panic or loss of control. This helps the body begin to interrupt habitual patterns. I've seen this work so well with people struggling with drug, alcohol or food addictions. We need to get out of AUTOMATIC PILOT mode and into PRESENCE.

So pause more throughout your day. Pause before you get out of the shower, pause before you leave your car, just pause and be still. It only requires a mere 30 seconds at a time. It will help you SLOW down




3. Positive Self Talk

STOP the self abuse and self loathing! It reinforces false beliefs and tells all the cells and energetic vibrations in your body they are not worthy of health, love and happiness. Give your body, mind and soul a fertile ground of positive thoughts and affirmations on a DAILY basis. Just like you brush your teeth everyday, talk to your whole being with respect, love and admiration everyday.



4. Feeling the Body

Without getting too kinky, I suggest you feel yourself physically. Get your mind out of the gutter and stay with me here ;) Place your hands on the various Chakra meridians on your body and feel the energy there. For example, in a lying down position with eyes closed, bring both hands to the heart center or chest area and feel the energy there. Its almost instantaneous! The very moment your hands comes into contact with your chest you connect to a power center of sorts.

We really lose a connection with our physical bodies, so that getting right into the body requires pure physical touch as one means to core connect. Another way would be to receive Reiki or other bodywork therapies such as massage or cranial sacral therapy. The touch of another human being is one of the most powerful ways to connect to our innate healing abilities. I'll expand on that in future posts!



5. Pranayama or The Practice of Mindful Breathing:

The Breath is involved in any mindfulness practice you engage in. I probably will never blog any posts that doesn't at least mention it once. It's that vital. The breath is your connection to your core. It is your direct connection to achieving presence and in that state of awareness you are able to tap in, tune into your inner teacher. The breath also gets you out of SURVIVAL mode, by calming the CNS (central nervous system) and lowering cortisol levels naturally. Get breathing!

To learn more about breathing techniques and Pranayama, please send your questions and comments here!

Be well and always travel on your path with a light touch and a deep soul!

Namaste

Piera