Deepening Presence - Day 1

This is a recording of a live session. Day 1 of Five Day Meditation Retreat focused on improving your daily practice, deepening inner peace and connecting with the true self. Each session includes a brief intro, guided meditation and Q&A.

Transcript

Good morning everyone.

Welcome to Deepening the Presence five day meditation retreat.

I decided to call it.

My name is Tomek.

I'm a teacher here on the Insight Timer.

A meditator myself.

And most importantly a seeker like yourself.

Very much interested in deepening the presence and discovering my true self.

So thank you for joining me today.

And I give you a second or two to settle in and to get ready for this session.

Day one of five day meditation retreat.

I decided to call it.

How are you?

I already see familiar faces.

Hello Caroline.

Good to see you here.

Hello Debbie.

Hello Sandy.

Hello Kathy from Boston.

Nima.

Very good to see you.

Leslie.

Mary.

Hello Diane.

So good to see you here.

Natalie from Germany.

I,

Natalia.

Hello Natalia.

I decided to start a bit earlier here.

I'm in Sydney now Australia.

Six thirty in the morning.

That some of you in Europe can catch it late in the evening.

And those of you who are in the US also have a chance to see this live session the afternoon.

I think both evening meditations and afternoon meditations are very beneficial.

So this is my purpose.

Hello Jasmine.

Jasmine I'm planning this session to be no longer than forty five minutes.

So speaking of that I will start with a short introduction what this five day five day meditation retreat is all about.

And then we will jump into meditation which will I guide and hopefully during which we will deepen the presence.

And I will explain why deepening the presence is the topic of today's session and the next four sessions from Monday to Friday.

But before we start I'd be curious to know who is here for the first time.

Please raise your hand.

And for those of you who are regulars please welcome everyone.

Every first time I hear.

I'm always I'm always one I always want to extend my special warm welcome to those of you who are here for the first time.

Hello Pauline.

Good to see you.

Leslie's from Queensland.

Good.

That's now New South Wales and Queensland.

We on the same time.

It's much easier.

Mary here for the first time.

I listen to my SOS meditation.

Beautiful.

Eileen also for the first time.

Welcome.

We have Karen from Nova Scotia Canada.

OK.

So deepening the presence.

Why.

I have chosen this topic.

It is very much related to what I am going through and what is important to me.

But I hope and it is intentional of this retreat to help you also.

And I hope that this will resonate with you as well.

So what I found in striving to achieve different things personally and and professionally.

I've realized that most if not all of my projects come from the deep sense of presence and everything seems to be aligning much easier when I allow myself to relax into that underlying presence that is always there in me.

And what I mean by that.

I don't mean that as a vague spiritual saying but something that is very tangible and concrete that we can get an access to and feel it and embrace it.

So the way I understand it and the way I perceive it is that there are many layers to our life and many layers to our personality.

There is that everyday personality when we are doers when we are hands on allow ourselves to be engaged in our work in our life.

Being parents putting a head on a professional having a job title.

And this is all very important.

This is our human so to speak personality our personality that helps us to get along.

But underneath that there's also a human being.

Which your focus is on simple presence rather than doing anything and achieving.

And that part of us I believe in the modern times is.

Very much hidden and I wouldn't say forgotten because you cannot forget something that is.

Part of you or it is you it is essence of you but I believe that it is put aside and you may hear a lot about people who are spiritual and they say it is all good to be spiritual but this is not the time to be spiritual.

Now it's time to pay your bills to raise your kids to do your job and to and in a spare time.

Perhaps only perhaps there'll be some time to meditate to connect with that something that mysterious self.

And and relax because relaxation after all the striving and performing all these tasks that are also important at least we are made believe that they are so important the only thing left for you is to relax and hence all the relaxation music and relaxing meditations are so popular on inside timer.

But they do not necessarily focus not always on the core of every my teaching and I believe most of the teachers.

They call them spiritual teachers focus on deepening the presence or which is the essence of who you are so rather than thinking about.

Yourself as a first and foremost the doer.

And the achiever I decided for myself and maybe this is an invitation for you to consider that.

To start thinking about myself more as a human being.

And what comes from it it's actually very interesting because even though my focus shift from doing to being.

My doing benefits from it tremendously because when I realize when I focus on the present moment.

And deep in my meditation and relax into meditation allow that deeper essence of me come forth.

All those other parts of me that I thought.

They are the most important part they benefit from it too.

So it seems to me my conclusion and an intention for the retreat is to come back or through our meditation practice to which are we guide you to.

Discover or deepen that very presence that all the doing.

In my experience are coming from and all together make it a holistic approach don't discard one.

And focus on the other.

But actually bring all of it together and see how it works.

Is it gonna be better for you is this approach is this tactic even so to speak better for you.

Or perhaps not gonna work for you the only way to find out this to practice it.

So if you have any questions about.

What I'm talking about feel free to put them in a comment section.

I'm.

Oh hello Sharon as I was talking quite a few of you just joined us that's fantastic.

So once again it is an intention.

Of this five day retreat.

To.

Help you connect on a deeper level with that human being that is inside because.

Once again from my experience and as I read all the literature that on personal and spiritual development.

It seems to me that the the life as we know it happens we always thought that the doing creates the being.

Right so we have from the level it's it's so called a bottom up.

So you do and you create the wealth through performing various tasks and then you become that radiant being.

But what I find actually is the opposite than the ones I connect to that essence underlying essence that is there.

I found that all the doing that I'm so focused on at least my ego identities focused on.

Flows much easier and smoother.

And I called the bottom.

Bottom to top top to bottom approach where focusing on the overarching presence creates my daily reality and helps all those all the tasks and everything that we have.

To achieve and to do.

It helps all those things flow much better.

So without further ado I'd like you I'd like to guide you to a meditation that focuses on that very underlying essence that.

Is big part of all it's a major part of all of you.

And I want you to experience it yourself.

And find out for yourself how does it work for you.

If you are anything like myself and I think most of the people you will find that getting to the presence and stillness is not always an easy thing.

And it is not easy simply because we are overwhelmed in our daily life with many different layers of our existence which are focused on being.

So what you will find simply is a lot of thoughts a lot of emotions.

There'll be external sounds.

There'll be eggs and itches in your body and many things that will compete for our awareness as we try to go a bit deeper into the presence.

But worry not.

We are here to face those challenges together.

And if you meditated before and I believe because you are here you have.

You already have a certain understanding that this is absolutely normal.

All those things that we are preoccupied with.

Will come to the forefront of your experience at first.

But with a little bit effort and patience they slowly will start subsiding by.

I will invite you to do a breath meditation which means that every time that you find yourself drifting your awareness drifting to and and being focused on whether it's a thinking or bodily sensations or anything.

But presence and stillness.

Simply return yourself to your breath gently and calmly calmly.

Knowing that the essence of you sits underneath all those personality structures.

It is always there.

It's not a matter if.

It's matter how to get there.

And again our tool will be persistence patience.

And I also hope since this is our retreat.

It will be your help and your presence and your support.

You being the co creator and you being the focal point of this retreat contributing in a unique way to this meditation.

So this is a question that Teresa asks.

How do we know you have reached your inner presence.

That's actually thank you for this question.

This is a wonderful wonderful question.

And I will answer.

This way.

If you have to ask whether you reach the presence.

You are not there.

It is as simple as that.

You do not wait for the presence to arise.

But once you there there's no doubt.

You know you are there.

So I'll leave you with that.

And see if you will be able to to get there.

And if you don't.

Since this is a five day meditation retreat we have five days to deepening to practicing that very thing that we talk about thing that is very indescribable.

Quite frankly it is impossible with words to really describe what it is.

However when you get there all those words that I just said they just fall into place.

But without that experience none of those words are there.

I just said will matter.

So let us jump into practice.

And set our set our compass towards in itself.

At least what we consider in itself.

But towards the experience of in itself rather than description of it.

OK.

So there's no other way of starting this practice.

But by acknowledging that right here right now.

We are in the present moment.

As most of the meditation teachers would joke.

Asked when asked about what time is it.

They would say it is now.

And it is an undeniable truth of every meditation that we are in the now.

It is only a matter whether we acknowledging that or we want to acknowledge that.

Or maybe we are preoccupied.

And by those other layers of existence being somewhere in the anticipating future or in the past.

Right now I want you to acknowledge the simple fact that you are here.

In front of the screen connecting with so many of us from around the world.

And we are about to start a journey within.

So in order to start this journey I will ask you to allow your eyes to close.

And by that you will switch off the major input of information that flows to you through your vision through your eyes.

And that simple fact will force your attention internally.

The external gaze become the internal gaze.

And you will find what you will find is certain sensations in your body.

Feelings.

Various perceptions.

Some of them pleasant some of them unpleasant.

And right here at the beginning I want you to acknowledge them the way they are.

This is the layer of your physicality.

The inner senses.

If in any way you are uncomfortable.

Feel free to adjust your position in a way to minimize this physical discomfort.

And as you dropping in.

Recognize now that.

After the physical layer of your experience there is a mental layer.

There is thinking.

That sometimes comes in the form of a quiet whisper.

And some other times like in my case.

A big voice.

Big booming voice.

Providing commentary.

To what is happening.

And now you may want to ask yourself.

Is that commentary necessary.

To experience the present moment.

And another question you may ask yourself.

Am I.

The commentary.

Am I identified.

With this voice.

Am I my thoughts.

Am I.

My body sensations.

Or perhaps there's something else.

And this is a question I would want you to answer by yourself.

Personally individually.

I can only give you a tool to do it.

And the tool of this meditation will be your breath.

That is always there always present.

If you're aware of your breathing you're always right here right now.

Because you cannot breathe.

In the future nor in the past breath always comes from the present moment.

So if you if your awareness is drawn towards belly sensations.

If it's identified with.

The commentary your thoughts.

Then you have a choice of.

Bringing yourself back.

To your breath knowing that by doing so you will be in the present moment.

That is the ultimate gateway to.

Deepening the presence.

And then within this process you will be led astray.

By the very commentary.

By those belly sensations.

By external distractions.

And this is absolutely okay.

We are not here to change it.

We are not here to change the external world.

Nor the fact that you are physical being as much as.

Spiritual being.

Simply for this short period of this meditation.

Choose to direct your awareness.

To the spaces between the words if you will.

And be curious.

What is there.

It seems simple but.

It is not easy.

Your mind will wonder and that's okay.

I'm always here.

To bring you back.

I'm always here by your side.

To help you return.

From wherever you are.

Or wherever you were.

To the present moment.

That is my job here.

And as you continue coming back.

To your breath.

To the present moment.

You may notice that.

Your perception softens a bit.

It becomes slowly more refined.

And you no longer need that much effort.

To bring yourself to the present moment.

As things gradually soften.

Your return becomes easier and easier.

Your breath may slow down.

Your perception softens even more.

And there is less and less resistance.

And even though thoughts and emotions.

It is easier to sit with them.

As you start experiencing this very moment.

From a different level.

Thinking is no longer the main viewpoint.

It is no longer the main source.

But subsides into the background.

And slowly you feel a bit lighter.

As if you put behind a heavy burden.

That has been weighing on you for a long time.

It feels as if you start a brand new day.

New perspective.

Not changing the reality around you but developing new eyes.

And through those new eyes everything looks a bit lighter.

Less abusive.

Less concrete.

And muscles in your body respond to that presence.

You may find that your shoulders dropped away from your ears.

That your muscles relaxed even deeper.

Maybe there is less tension.

Perhaps the tension that you have never noticed suddenly appears.

And you ask yourself,

Was I that heavy all that time?

And you simply allow that heaviness to be there,

Seeing it from this perspective for the first time.

From the perspective of presence.

Presence that is non-judgmental.

And in case that if your mind still tortures you with all those thoughts.

Use your breath as the anchor.

As a place to which you can retreat.

And make each breath a practice.

How much can it be contained within a single breath?

How much can it be contained within a single breath?

And now it is time to return.

So you are still in the present moment.

But right now I will ask you to direct your awareness from that perspective of the present moment.

Direct it back towards your physical senses.

And see for yourself what difference does it make.

Simply be aware of your physical senses.

The space around you.

Your sit bones on the chair.

It is still you.

But perspective has changed.

And there is no need to abandon that very perspective.

You simply bring yourself back.

Now being present to the physicality of things.

To the physical senses.

Being acutely aware of your physical body.

Its boundaries.

And the way you connect through your body with the physical world and the space around you.

And now I will ask you to start making a small movement.

Starting with your toes.

And see how that feels.

You may add a slow movement of your fingers.

Still being very present.

Coming to the bodily sensations and those basic functions.

Movement of your muscles.

And now slowly and gently tilt your head to the left.

And feel all the sensations that come with that gentle tilt.

Maybe muscles in your neck.

Feeling heaviness of your head.

Tilt your head to the right.

And again stretching of your neck.

Heaviness of your head.

Now back to the center.

And as we usually do.

Finish up with one deep cleansing breath in through your nose.

And out through your mouth.

And when you're ready open your eyes and welcome back.

Beautiful.

So this is deepening presence.

It certainly felt to me that I'm coming to you from a different place.

And I always check in with myself during those live sessions.

How is my belly?

How is my chest?

How is my voice?

At the start of every session there's always a anticipation.

There is a hint of anxiety.

And that always competes for the presence with me as I try to ground myself.

So this is a continuous process.

A dense between different functions of your mind and your body and the presence.

And for me the secret is how to bring all those together so they no longer in competition.

But they collaborate to support your moment to moment well-being.

And this is my intention for you for this session and for the next for the entire week of meditating and deepening that presence.

And strengthening that connection between the self and the body and the mind.

That even though they sometimes feel separate they are not separate.

They flow from the essence of you.

They are you.

And they are just one expression of you not entirely of it.

And that's the realization that I'm hoping for you to come to on your own in your own terms.

Good morning,

Basia.

Good to see you here.

Yeah,

Nima says my voice is usually lower and deeper after session.

That's how I feel.

If you wish to listen to the recording of the session I usually put those on my YouTube channel later on.

And feel free to compare the way I speak at the beginning of the session and after meditation.

And maybe this is going to be a better indication of what I mean.

Or even like Nima,

Try it for yourself.

How do you speak before and after meditation?

Well,

Thank you all for being here and for meditating with me and participating in this online Inside Time and Retreat.

Thank you,

Debbie,

For your kind donation.

I'm very grateful for your support always.

But most importantly for your presence here.

This is the most important aspect of being here on Inside Timer.

Connecting with you and expanding the presence.

Raising the consciousness,

Collective consciousness,

So we can live better,

More fulfilled life,

More empowered life.

And be acutely aware of all those components,

The thinking and doing that compete very often for our awareness.

Thank you so much,

Pauline.

I really,

I really appreciate it.

So tomorrow,

The same time,

The same place,

I hope you can join me so we can continue this practice.

It is nature of every practice that repetition makes this better and easier.

And you will be able to discover deeper and deeper levels as you continue practicing.

So please set up your timer and click the attend button that will help,

Hopefully send you a reminder of the next session.

And I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the same time.

And once again,

Meditate with you and with the intention of deepening our presence and coming from the deeper self.

So for now,

I'd like to thank you for being here,

For meditating with me.

And as I said,

I look forward to meditating with you tomorrow.

Until then,

Bye bye.

Reviews

Thanks. I'm practicing muscle memory with mindfulness. This type of talk helps the process for me. Thanks

Greet. Thank you so much, Tomek. Enjoy your day, the being!!

Insightful. Thank you 😊

I enjoy very your introductions and meditation sessions. I've started meditating 3 months ago and I follow you from the start. We have one thing in common, same job, and I wish i had started earlier to meditate. But it's never too late !
Thank you very much Tomek for sharing your experience.
Pascale from France

😁🌈🙏

Thank you for this series Tomek
Interesting to compare our voice before and after meditation
🙏🏼

What a joy to spend this morning with you in mediation. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Thank you! 😊

Thank you Tomek!!!!

💖so glad you published this as I was not able to attend the live sessions, thank you💖