Presence, Devotion, Discipline
I have been sitting a lot with what it means to be present, why it's important, and what it really takes to be present for ourselves, before we can be present for others. And it is a skill, and a practice, and most certainly takes discipline. If you have heard me say it before, I will say it again:
Your presence is the gift.
That means you don't have to be anything other than who you are and to show up and you are already enough, more than enough you are magnificent. But you first have to learn to show up for yourself and that is not always easy, it takes devotion to yourself, your inner practices, and a certain level of discipline. I love this quote on presence.
"Presence is a state of inner spaciousness."- Eckhart Tolle
I would love to hear what that statement evokes for you, how does it feel to be spacious in your own inner landscape? For me it is quieting down long enough to listen to what is going on inside, and often it is through practices that involve movement like Kundalini yoga or dance, other times it is through the art process, or just asking an "inquiry" of myself and waiting for the answer. Very rarely is it trying to sit on a meditation cushion and just clear out. Even for me that is very difficult, and it's why I have studied so many practices over the years that are just as, if not more effective for me to tap into my heart and soul. But it is not always easy to make the space, make the time, and step out of work and day to day living. It is because of my devotion to myself, to my Divine, and to my community that I make it a priority, and it does take discipline. But the alternative if I did not do this, is out of the the question for me. The Inner Mean Girl, Self-sabotage, and destruction that would occur means the devotion to myself is non-negotiable. Can you make devotion to yourself and a practice that keeps you present in your spaciousness? Trust me when I tell you that it is well worth it, and your beloveds, family, clients will see even more of your gifts, your presence will be elevated, it will be amplified, it will be more potent.
So, does this mean that I never "fall off the wagon" and decide to huddle up in the fetal position eating popcorn and watching "This is Us", or have one too many glasses of wine in order to numb out? No it doesn't. It happens, but trust me I can feel the effects almost immediately, and then all of my shadow side, ego stuff, Inner Mean Girls, and Outer Mean Girls come out to play and have their way with me and anyone else in my path. And that lack of devotion and discipline bleeds out into every aspect of my life and then I can't show up for myself or anyone else. And it's really not fun or worth it.
When we look up discipline in the dictionary most of the definitions really don't seem very fun, and in fact are based in punishment. So it's no wonder it seems so difficult to have a consistent daily devotional practice to self and to the Divine. Here is the definition that does resonate for me anyway:
Discipline: activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training
Showing up for yourself and being devoted to yourself is a skill, and it is a training in accessing your heart, your soul, and your consciousness so you can show up for yourself and then show up and be present for others. The best training and skill development I have ever embarked upon. Now let's look at devotion:
Devotion: profound dedication; consecration
I like that. Profound dedication. Can you make a choice to have profound dedication to yourself? If yes, what does that look like for you? If no, I am not sure the alternative, I can't even fathom making the choice to not be dedicated and devoted to myself so that my presence is truly is a gift to myself and others. For me the daily practice looks something like this, some things are not optional, some are and are done on my sacred space days:
Tapping into my wisdom and asking what I need to receive that day before I get out of bed.
Stepping outside to greet nature.
Asking my wisdom and pulling an oracle card what I need to know that day, what energies are present for me, and how I would like to walk through the world that day.
A short Kundalini practice, and some days a 90 minute.
Doing some sort of art, art has been shown to be just as effective as mediation. https://wapo.st/2GkKDyx
Being in community with other women.
Reading sacred texts
Writing and Journaling
Being in Gratitude
Connecting with my Divine in a multitude of ways.
These are just a few of my practices. I would love to hear yours, or to assist you in creating a daily practice so you are in presence, devotion, and create a disciplined practice that you will actually do, and that flows with your rhythms and the rhythms of nature. I would love to connect with you and talk, to schedule with me, click on the link below and submit a contact request.