The Art of Living – mindful presence

There is a line from James Joyce where he wrote of one character, “Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body.”

I was listening to Jack Kornfield early on Sunday morning, with his soft, patient, compassionate voice as he once again introduced the simplicity and depth of mindful presence.

I was completely struck by the quote. It efficiently summed up an image that first came to mind a couple of years ago when I was developing an online program to help busy professionals and entrepreneurs find 10 minutes in their day to take steps towards a healthier body and way of working.

I realized, through personal experience, how easy it was to fall into the trap of being caught up in your head and completely disconnected to your body while working hard on a project.

Even though I had a dedicated yoga practice, it required mindful presence to take the benefits of yoga off the mat into my daily life.

Mindful presence is a key component to our yoga practice. It begins with arriving, just as you are.

Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced practitioner, there’s a beauty and a vast sense of possibility when you approach a practice with a beginner’s mind. Letting go of all judgement and comparison to how you were before, whether that be yesterday, last week, before you took a break or many years ago.

Many people enjoy the physical aspects of yoga to begin with and that’s what keeps them coming back for more.You feel good in your body and if you feel good in your body, you have more energy, confidence, joy and connection to work through your commitments and responsibilities.

Mindful presence allows you to have a better capacity to see what needs to be understood.

By paying attention to yourself, becoming aware of how you are feeling, how it is showing up in your body and tuning into the state of your mind and heart can help you decide on your next right step.

So, I encourage you today to consider how well you’re taking care of yourself right now.

Have you noticed how energy is often focused on getting through your ‘to-do’ list, stuck in a perpetual cycle of coping and reacting?

Are you prioritising everyone and everything else above your own well-being? Or putting yourself last on the list?

Developing a self-care plan now that incorporates a deeper connection to yourself means you have the tools ready to support you when outside circumstances get out of control. You’ll know how to take care of yourself and weather the storm – and you’ll be strong and balanced enough to support those who need you most.

Will you join me?

8-Week Deep-Dive Immersion

Cultivating positive habits, a calmer mind and healthier body

Starting on 16 October in Luzern.

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4-Week Rediscover Yoga Series

Setting the foundation for a lifetime of practice

Starting on 29 October in Luzern.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about which offering would be more suitable for you.

I look forward to hopefully meeting you soon.

Karen x

PS. If you know anyone who could benefit or be interested, please share either (or both) of these links:
Deep-Dive Immersion: http://bit.ly/deepdiveimmersion
Redisover Yoga: http://bit.ly/RediscoverYoga
Thank you!