what does it mean to be “present”?
“lose your mind and come to your senses”
Fritz Perls
As human beings we have the amazing and very useful capacity to THINK.
We have the ability to process, plan, analyze, discern, ponder, and even catastrophize.
Think of times in your life when these abilities have come in handy, or even been a means of survival and/or belonging.
All of these cognitive capabilities are very useful in our daily lives … until they become less useful. Until we may feel a bit lost in our thoughts, and start to disconnect from the present moment and from each other. From time to time we might need to pause to come back to our sensory and embodied experience in order to FEEL INTO ourselves, to ground ourselves, to get PRESENT.
What does it mean for you to be present? How do you know that you are present? Some people describe this state as being unaware of themselves - in a pleasurable way - and/or being in a flow state. Being able to “go with the flow.” Others may be more acutely aware of themselves, aware of feelings and sensations in such a way that they can breathe more easily, see more clearly, and take in new information with ease.
Bringing your attention to your sensations and physical experience is one way to return to the here and now, to the present moment.
It may feel challenging or even a bit scary to pause and notice your body process. There may be a good reason you have spent so much time “in your head.”
Embodied therapy is not about creating a good/bad relationship between “being in your head” and “being in your body.” Both ways of being in the world have value. And perhaps we can explore the continuum, the grey area, the full spectrum of your experience between these ways of being. You are so much more than your thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Working one:one with a trained mental health professional (that’s me!) can offer you the space and support to come to a self-understanding that allows you to build awareness and discover possibility … at a pace that works for you.
