In this episode, John presents an overview of Presence, while integrating it with 5 Element practices from Daoism.
Principle of Presence: Become aware of your distractions. If need be, even meditate single-mindedly on the flow of your inner and outer distractions. Be patient. Over time, as you meditate regularly, the flow of distractions should begin to slow, allowing present-centered awareness to rise. Remain in that pure presence. Give more and more precise, clear attention to the Now and Here - Meditate on the exact instant of the present moment and the surroundings — as you directly experience them. Release distractions even more deeply; stay with present perception, emotion, or thought as it arises, rather than withdrawing to the past or leaping ahead to the future. Refine Nowness. As gaps naturally appear between thoughts, as open spaces arise between emotions - rest in the gap. Let the clarity of your pure awareness settle naturally in itself. Enjoy the bliss of Nowness.