The Power Of Presence

What if peace isn't something we need to find, but something we can return to?
In this talk, I explore the power of presence and how we can reconnect with the simple awareness beneath our constant stream of thoughts. Drawing on my experience as a mother and reflections on childhood, I consider how emotions can be fully experienced without becoming caught up in the stories the mind creates around them.
Discover how returning to the simplicity of the present moment can help us step out of repetitive thought patterns and cultivate a deeper sense of peace.
A grounded reflection on awareness, non-duality and the possibility of finding freedom in simply being.

Transcript

Re-establishing presence has been powerful for me. So often the mind seems to race with thought. And it feels as though we're being carried away. With no choice in the matter. But the realization that to be aware of thought means there is a choice in the matter. Regardless of how it feels in the moment. As a mum of two small kids. I often look at my children, Particularly my youngest who's 19 months old, And notice how foundational presence naturally is. Before the mind is conditioned into labelling and commenting on everything. There was this direct experiencing of whatever was happening. Of course there can be sadness, Discomfort, Anger. But these emotions are fully felt and then let go of. There isn't a story around them or any lingering around. Children can be in despair one minute and jumping for joy the next. The emotion passes through. And then neutral presence re-emerges. As adults, This way of being can appear difficult to get back to. It seems like there's a lot of effort involved in returning to effortlessness. But knowing that this presence is foundational. It is in fact what we are. It's just a case of re-familiarizing ourselves with it. I like to imagine myself as a baby, Staring neutrally at whatever's in front of me without any language to conceptualise what's appearing. And that doesn't mean I go about life as a blank slate. It just means. That there's an option of returning to this place. Whenever we seem to be running away with the mind and getting lost in repetitive thought cycles. Initially, This neutrality can seem very uneventful. There's nothing to grasp onto, No story, Nothing to plan for. Just the simplicity of what's immediately in the scene. Maybe there's a tree, A bird. Or clouds moving. But eventually. This simple uneventfulness can be the grounds for a deeper sense of peace. A sturdy foundation. That becomes a little harder to leave. The more it's re-established. Because really, This peaceful field of awareness is what we truly are. It was there when we were babies. It's been there all along. And it's what's available at any time. When we choose to look.