Stringing Pearls
Two of the most powerful practices I've come across are "Pearls of Presence" and "Full Incarnation." And thankfully, they go hand in hand!
Pearls of Presence is the simple, yet, life-changing practice of resting as awareness whenever you naturally remember to do so. Meaning that as you go throughout your day, you create little moments where you drop off your train of thoughts, and are fully present for a few seconds.
You can bring your awareness to your body, senses, and your physical environment. But the key is that you stop paying attention to your mind for a moment.
What this does is two-fold: it helps us reclaim our attention from our egoic mind, and savor the experience we are having right now. And it only takes a few seconds!
The key is to focus on frequency of practice over intensity. You can imagine that you are stringing pearls throughout the day, bringing you closer to a state of unbroken presence. Over time, these mini-meditations shift how you move through life!
The second practice, Full Incarnation, is about learning to fully feel our body sensations without constructing a story or analyzing them.
This practice is about physical embodiment and feeling all that is happening within us right now, without judging our experience as good or bad.
This can be difficult, especially if you are holding onto a lot of pain and emotions in your body, and you are mainly in your mind. But like every habit, we start small and progress step by step.
The key is to relax and allow yourself to feel unconditionally without paying attention to your thoughts. By doing so, we naturally begin to release trapped emotions and blockages in our bodies.
Full Incarnation is practiced as a meditation, or as you are going through your day and get triggered by something. At that moment, instead of racing to your head, you slow down, breathe, and move all your attention to the feelings in your body.
As you feel, it is very important you don't judge what you are feeling, or believe the stories in your mind. These only entertain the pain that you are experiencing.
Rather, drop deeper into the uncomfortable sensations and breathe into them. Relax your body, and allow yourself to compassionately feel what is arising.
As you do these practices frequently, you'll be able to navigate triggers and discomfort with more ease, and enjoy the experience of your life with full presence.
Let’s get practicing!
