Being Present, Meditation — and Some Exciting Research!

Bringing a client into the present moment can be a challenge. It's more than the need to have their full attention before embarking on our journey together. It's also about getting them out of their heads, diverting them away from left-brain, intellectualized thinking and toward more right brain, intuitive sensing.

Some arrive for phone consultations, heads filled with preconceptions (about what I'm going to say), and agendas (about what they're hoping that I'll say). Once we begin, they're unable to truly hear what I am saying because they’re caught in their own loop, trying to fit the puzzle pieces I give them to the way their left brain has planned things out. I hear them taking notes, jotting down my words — but I sense that they're not hearing me. They’re disconnected. They're not present.

I always recommend that my clients seek out some sort of meditation or self-observation practice, even the most basics — body sensing, or taking a moment to note where they are in any given moment. What do you hear? See? ...Feel in this moment? Occupy your space fully!

Regardless, I'm always able to merge with their timeless consciousness and access information through Streaming Consciousness. The information always comes. (Clients receive a recording of their consultation for later reflection). Those who practice even the most basic mindfulness are able to join with me on a wonderful, multi-dimensional adventure. Together we travel outside of linear time, through non-physical reality — and beyond!

I just read a great article by CNN contributor Amanda Enyati citing research on the benefits of meditation in fighting loneliness which also points to meditation’s potential in disease prevention.

Two paragraphs that really caught my attention:

"For the first time, we are seeing that a behavioral practice -- paying attention to your experience from moment to moment -- has the power to change the gene expression in your immune cells."

"Loneliness, notes Creswell, is not necessarily about a person's objective number of social contacts but his or her subjective perception of feeling disconnected."