How Being Present & Connected Helps us Solve Problems

It’s interesting to ponder on the themes of awareness and connection to the earth (see our blog posts for the month of May), and really get a sense for the power we can access when we master even simple skills and habits in these areas. Let’s add one more element to the mix, that of being present, which as you may already know, is our only point of real power.

Spending time thinking or worrying about the past, for any reason other than participating in energy healing or gaining a point of reference that will help us in the present is not going to benefit us … because the past has already happened. Spending time worrying about the future will also not bring any benefit, because the future hasn’t happened yet. Planning for the future is different … planning helps guide our present actions in a way that keeps us on the path for what we want to accomplish or experience in the future. But even with planning, we must realize the only moment in time where we have any real power to change or do anything is RIGHT NOW, this very moment.

And the power of right now boils down to focused action in the present. Being present in the present. Let’s consider some areas that might benefit greatly if we simply made the commitment to stay connected and present in the present. The first on our list: relationships. How many times do we really allow worries, to-do lists and projections of advice interfere with really being able to listen to someone important to us and enjoy their company in the most carefree way possible? How many little disagreements, misunderstandings or feelings of unimportance might be mitigated or altogether eliminated if we simply choose to listen to and experience one another in the present moment?

Brain specialists teach us that when we are “multi-tasking” we aren’t really multi-tasking. There’s actually no such thing as multi-tasking …. Instead, we train ourselves to become as adept as possible at jumping between one thing to another. But they know from research and experience that we are actually much more productive if we stay focused on one thing long enough to accomplish our goal in that area. Likewise, research on the use of media and how it impacts individuals has shown that in our “trigger-happy” world, in which anything you might be enticed by is just one click away, many people don’t have an attention span longer than a goldfish! (8 seconds)

Think of how lack of focus, or mental “multi-tasking” affects your relationships – when you have a brilliant opportunity to enjoy and enhance the present.

How about work? All of us have to make a living, and some of us are actually doing what we love to do. Others may be dreaming about what they’d love to do. Here’s an interesting question, no matter which side of the fence we are on: If you were somehow able to give yourself focused work time while you are at work (no thoughts of what you need to do later, no worries about how people might react or receive you, just pure focus on the task at hand and being the best person to do it in any given moment) …. How do you think that might change your life? Could it bring you the success and/or promotion and/or raise you’ve been dreaming about? It probably wouldn’t hurt.

How about play, recreation or down time on your own or with loved ones? Are you someone who goes on vacation only to sit on a beautiful beach with your laptop, or do you really experience the waves and the breeze and the pina coladas? Do you really play? Are you in the photos or behind the camera, on the sidelines? Or better yet, just in the business of making memories? How involved do you really get in seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, smelling the smells, touching and interfacing with the experience? It’s definitely something to think about.

Chances are that if you have a cell phone, you’ve utilized the memory feature that helps you optimize your memory by combining files and releasing anything that isn’t serving or optimizing your phone’s performance at the time …. There were some things the phone was holding on to that reduced or impaired its ability to function. This is what happens to us when we try to multitask instead of focusing on the present. What if, instead of worrying and thinking about work, play AND relationships all throughout your day, you actually chose when you were going to focus on each …. And then unabashedly did it? That’s the challenge for today. Choose your focus times – then practice being completely present during those time periods. We’d love to hear how that goes!

And if you want to enhance your performance, use some focus-enhancing yoga poses such as  Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III), Garudasana (Eagle),  Nataranjasana (Dancer’s Pose), any active inversions/arm balances,  and some focus-enhancing essential oils such as frankincense or wild orange together with peppermint….put a drop of each in your hands and inhale. Interestingly, pure aromatherapy can enhance our ability to stay on task and help us start to train our brains to act in a different way then they’ve become accustomed to. This is the time for you to assert authority over your own brain, and help it help you become the best version of yourself you can be.

We’re looking forward to hearing your comments on this week’s challenge….

Don’t forget that Essential Yoga Sangha is coming up on July 30, click HERE to join us to learn powerful ways to combine your yoga practice with pure essential oils for greater impact and benefit in your life. If you are a yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance, you can also opt to receive 10 online credit hours of Continuing Education…and we have extra tips for yoga studios and teachers that you will love!