A common thing that we hear from our clients after a yoga class or an esoteric healing session, is how amazing they feel or how they feel like they have “returned home”.

This sense of deep well being, simplicity and joy experienced and expressed by our clients is a feeling that naturally derives as they re-connect back to themselves and their body.

Another typical comment they share with us is “if only I could feel like this ALL of the time.” Well the fact is that this is possible. “Really? How? I feel so relaxed, I would never get anything done like this” – we hear you say.

Well, the truth is that we become far more productive when we connect with our body and our inner presence before we actually do anything, then hold and honour that connection as we attend to whatever it is that we do.

In this quality of being (connection), there is no push, no drive, no expectation nor waste of energy, and the things that need “to be done” don’t feel like a “chore”, a “bore” or a “drain”. Rather ALL the activities of life become something that you simply and effortlessly attend to where “you” take “you” to everything – being an activity that you could have so far considered pleasant, unpleasant or have no particular awareness of or feeling for.

In other words when we live from connection, we do not compartmentalize how we are and feel in life anymore, accepting to maybe be grumpy at work versus relaxed and playful during the week-end or the holidays. As we commit to ourself and a way of living that is harmonious, we develop a consistency in how we are and feel in everything everywhere with everyone.

We would like to offer is some simple tips that you can playfully explore throughout your day, to develop or deepen your connection with your body and your being so that you gradually and naturally live with this quality of being ALL of the time.

  1. Offer yourself moments to feel your breath throughout the day.

    Enjoy developing an intimate relationship with your breath starting to notice its quality throughout the day. Can you feel the touch of the breath on your nostrils, its temperature, its texture? Are you holding its flow or breathing more rapidly or shallowly in certain situations?  A gentle breath through your nose is a good indicator that you are connected with yourself and your body, with your body and physiology relaxed – breathing your own breath as opposed to stress or situations.

  2. Develop an intimate relationship with your body – moment by moment.

    As well as noticing your breath, become aware of how your body feels or reacts in different situations. What is your posture like generally, when you stand up or sit, when you are on your own or with others? Does your body language change depending on who you are with or who you talk to how and what does this reflect, to yourself and to others? Our body gestures and postures communicate far more than our words.

  3. Listen to your voice and its tone as you speak.

    Does the quality of your voice and tone change depending on who you are talking to? Are you putting on a voice in certain situations such as one of authority or are you communicating with your natural and true voice with everyone everywhere? Do you think and or plan what you are going to say (i.e are you going into your head), or do you trust, connect with your body, feel what to say and express in full?

  4. Choose to move your body with awareness and in a way that feels gentle.

    The quality of our movements (e.g rushed, jerky, anxious versus gentle, precise and graceful) reflects the energy we hold in our body and as such the awareness of the quality of our movements is a powerful tool to catch ourselves when we are off and bring ourselves back.

  5. Develop a repertoire of activities you commit to attend to from connection.

    You could explore sitting down and standing up making the commitment to yourself that each time you do this action, you will do it gently, with absolute awareness of feeling what you are doing and all that there is to feel. Once you have mastered the first couple of actions, choose another and continue to slowly build your repertoire.

The practice of living with the awareness of your inner presence and your body (conscious presence) starts with little steps to lay down a foundation, then a bit like any good building, you slowly steadily and lovingly build on top of this.

Give yourself the space to explore the above tips playfully and gracefully, holding yourself in love and acceptance of where you are at – i.e no judgement or criticism. Living with conscious presence and awareness is our natural way to be, so even though it may feel difficult and challenging at the start there is nothing that you need to better, improve, fix or achieve.

There is immense wisdom, healing and beauty in the practice of connecting back to ourselves and our inner essence and in living in that quality of being. This is something worth exploring and a gift that only you can give to yourself.

Alexandra Plane and Donna Nolan offer Esoteric therapiesMassage therapies, Yoga/Yoga Therapy and Meditation at their clinics in Balmain, Cammeray and BalgowlahContact them for enquiries or bookings.