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 Lying Down will get you Standing Up Again

Last December I spent 10 days and 10 nights lying down on my hardwood floor. No it wasn't some nutty new esoteric practice I was trying out. My low back went out on me, and left me flat on my back. I literally was forced to spend the next 10 days and nights in the confines of my room and with myself. My back felt like a thousand daggers were stabbing every inch of my sacrum. Any movement brought me to tears within seconds, and electrical shocks down my whole lower body. I cried, I sobbed and begged for mercy. Nothing helped until I just let go and stopped resisting. The moment I felt my pain, allowed it to be and drew on my inner capacity to feel compassion for myself was the moment my body started to relax and heal.

The whole experience actually turned out to be a gift from the universe. As much as I cringed in pain and fear , I am so very fortunate to have that happen to me.

It was the spark that initiated this Core Connection Healing project and book. Lying on my back brought me to the ground in a very literal sense and also a deep metaphorical one. I was given the opportunity to STOP right in my crazy tracks of being in auto pilot mode, to truly experiencing PRESENCE and BEING in the now.

From grasping outwards to gain insight, and "guidance" from all kinds of teachers, yogis, gurus and the like, I began to do the real work and instead went INWARDS. Lying on my floor prompted me to face my pain directly as it was. No running away, no heading to the gym or yoga studio, no going out and socializing, no helping or healing others, and no throwing myself into my work or relationships.


Grounded and Grounding :

It was me, my pain and the floor. A trio that brought me to gain greater understanding of my own self and inner terrain. I realized how much my body communicates to me and how much I neglect to hear it. I realized that if I kept ignoring the signals and inner voice that was screaming for me to just stay still for once and listen, I would lose the very precious gift that life offers us each and every day. The gift of knowing we are already blessed and perfect just as we are.

Just as Osho states "you can go on changing the outer lives, and never be satisfied", I knew I came to a point of needing to just stop from having to feel the need to change all the external circumstances in order to feel ok and acceptable to everyone around me.



Where does it stop?

The reality is, it doesn't. We can continually go outwardly and change our bodies, our clothes, our homes, our cars, our bank accounts, our friends, our partners, our networks, our gadgets and never FEEL the only thing that truly gives us satisfaction - our Core Connection to source and that inner being.

They say you need to stumble and fall, in order to rise higher. For me this really did happen. Not in the sense of getting better or more ahead, that would be EGO talking. What I mean here with "rising Higher" is coming closer to that higher self, or THE inner TEACHER, that is infallible and speaks our TRUTH.

Tools you can use to get grounded!

1. GET ON THE GROUND:
   

Lie on the ground for a few minutes everyday. You can do this just before bed. Get down to the primal ground we came from. Feel what it's like to just be close to the solidity that is always under our feet. Even in those times when we feel the rug is being pulled from under us, or when our "world" feels like its crumbling apart before our eyes, the ground is still there! This will allow you to feel how solid your foundation remains regardless of what your mind tells you.



2. MEDITATION:

Sitting on the floor gets you connected with your base or 1st chakra. The base chakra is found between your genitals and anus. Breath into this area as you sit and envision red light illuminating it. This is your connection to security and the basic needs of life. When we feel FEAR and become scared that we are not going to have our basic needs met, this area shuts down. So physical ailments such as constipation or diarrhea, hemorrhoids, colitis, IBS, Crohn's, bladder and urinary ailments can arise when this chakra is blocked or out of balance. Just sit, breath and feel the body from within.



3. Standing with Awareness:

So after practicing the above, we can rise up and feel that grounded stability as we stand. Standing with a long spine, relax the neck shoulders , and back, and slightly tilt the hips forward. Feel the feet pressing into the ground beneath you, drawing up the energy to the rest of your body. Feel all 4 corners of your feet pressing down as if they had roots. Doing this just for a few minutes everyday will encourage your self awareness to become stronger and stronger. You awaken your whole being when you come into mindfulness and the practice of experiencing the NOW.


In health and happiness,

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