I’ve just got back from a 9 Day Silent Meditation Retreat. This wasn’t my first one as I’ve done several over the last few years. Although, I must say this one felt pretty special as my focus has sharpened since I enrolled on a Mindfulness Teacher Training (2-year course) at the University of Berkeley in February. I realised during the retreat how far I’ve come. I’m seeing more and more how I’m embodying my Practice and it’s exciting to watch how it’s becoming an integral part of my life.
One thought that occupied me during the retreat was how presence is intrinsic to our nature. We’ve all touched presence on a day to day basis even if we don’t call it that. It is not some exotic state. You might have sensed it while walking alone in the forest. Perhaps you felt it while listening to a fantastic piece of music. Very often, we are resting in presence in the moments before we sleep when we become still and relaxed. We open to presence in gratitude for someone’s unexpected kindness. We may never forget the presence we feel as we witness a birth or a death. These are the moments when we realise that there is something more significant to human life than checking things off on our to-do lists. Let me share with you some of my favourite life moments where the magic of presence has filled my body and soul…
Cycling back home and feeling a deep sense of gratitude as I admire the beauty in my city on a beautiful summer evening.
The moment of stillness when I enter a forest and am humbled by Nature’s beauty.
When I close my eyes on a sunny day and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.
When I sit down to meditate, the heavy feeling of my relaxed body on my pillow.
The magical sound of the leaves when there is a sudden gust of wind.
The sigh that comes when I lie down in my bed after a super-busy day and the feeling of comfort and safety while covered in my soft bedsheets.
When I kiss someone I love and our lips melt into one.
Naturally waking up after a good night’s sleep feeling very refreshed.
During a deep conversation with a friend, this sudden feeling of gratitude for the other person.
Leaving the house without a jacket on a summer morning and the feeling of warm air on my skin.
Hiking up a mountain, stopping to take in the view and the breath-taking vastness of nature.
When I’m at a party and I look around on the dancefloor and everyone is having the best time of their life, I feel this deep sense of gratitude for my own life.
Waking up in the morning and having the whole day stretch out with zero plans.
Taking a shower at night after a stressful day and washing away all the heavy weight.
The sound of rain while I’m curled up in bed with a good book and my favourite tea.
When I eat my favourite food, it is so delicious that I give an uncontrolled loud Mmmm.
When I wake up on a cold morning, get up, make coffee and snuggle back in my bed.
When I make love and the magical moment when two bodies become one.
When my eye catches the beautiful reflection of sunlight in the forest in between the trees and leaves.
When I’m so immersed in a good book, my heart starts pounding with excitement with every page.
We live most of our lives in a trance state, running around constantly, in a permanent state of FOMO. But we achieve our greatest joy in the moments where we become still and are in awe with the moment. It acts like a reset button where we forget about the hustle and bustle of our lives and our petty concerns. I highly encourage you to sit and write your own list. It’s a very therapeutic exercise, reminding ourselves of what actually matters in life. Every time I read my own list, I feel so content with my life.
I will finish off with this beautiful quote by Darwin that he recorded in his autobiography:
“In my journal, I wrote that whilst standing in the midst of the grandeur of a Brazilian forest, ‘it is not possible to give an adequate idea of the higher feelings of wonder, admiration, and devotion which fill and elevate the mind.’ I well remember my conviction that there is more in man than the breath of his body.”
If my article has resonated with you, please leave a comment — why not share some of your favourite moments? I’d love to hear about them.
Love this piece. Thank you for sharing this collection of deep soulful reflective reminders after your retreat. Having the sun touch my face and melting into it is one of my favourite things during the summer period here in London, UK. I also agree presence isn’t some exotic state that is only accessible to the special ascended few. It is something that can sometimes be so natural we overlook it as anything special. It is a gorgeous moment of pause, even for a millisecond, to embrace what is unfolding right then and there. I think you’d enjoy this piece I wrote: https://open.substack.com/pub/soulwisdom/p/you-are-it?r=a9uns&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post