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Imagine a state of being where you had 24-7 access to an infinite well of wisdom. Unlimited entree to a personalized, internal search engine far more powerful and truthful than Google. A place where wisdom, creativity, and inspiration from the greatest sages and mystics that ever lived whispered–with divine timing–guidance in your ear. The Oracle of Delphi at your fingertips.
But it gets even better. What if this state of being I’m describing gave you first hand access to your soul blueprint, your ultimate guide to why you’re here? Each time you accessed this blueprint your Soul lovingly whispered in your ear: “Yes, you are on the right track, keep following your joy” or “Slow down, there is more to this than what appears right now.” Personalized guidance, beautifully timed, and illuminated with crystal clarity for your highest good. Sounds like a magical place doesn’t it? Well it is and we can be there whenever we desire.
Direct Knowing – The Ultimate Guidance
This state of being is called direct knowing. It is a place where we can easily connect to and receive personal guidance from our intuition. In her book Leap of Perception, Penney Pierce explains that: “Direct knowing brings what you need to know just when you need to know it. There is no wasted effort, just profound relaxation. A more expansive life begins, with increased mystical experience and feelings of connection and communion. You relax your worry muscle, soften your need for control and willpower, and feel more supported in every way.”
Problems that might take days, weeks, or even years of brain fog and struggle, are creatively and easily solved when we tap into the wealth of wisdom always accessible to us through the use of direct knowing. Worrying about whether to take that new job, buy that new house, or move in with your partner? With direct knowing, answers are unveiled easily and effortlessly. But there is one caveat: we must be in the present moment, which for us humans can often be hard to find. Sometimes it can feel as non-existent as a warm summer breeze on a cold northern Michigan winter day.
Yet the present moment is your doorway to direct knowing. It’s the on ramp to the super highway of deep wisdom that is always available and beckoning to you. If that is so, why does it frequently seem so impossible to merge with the present moment? Moreover, if we are not in the present moment, where are we?
Often, we’re at least ten steps, (if not years) ahead of ourselves. Our energy is literally projected outside of our bodies. As we predict the future, we often saturate it with worst case scenarios. For example, “if I take that new job, I know I’ll fail” or “if I move in with my partner, I know she’ll leave like every other woman left.” Fear, insecurity, and worry dominate. One of my favorite definitions of worry is praying for something I don’t want. Not a good use of energy!
If we haven’t projected ourselves into the future, we are often stuck in the past. Our energy is literally ten steps (or even years) behind us. Regret, self-recrimination, and sadness often dominate. When these emotions lead there is no way we can ride the prevailing winds of the present moment because we are tied to and dragging rusty old barges of emotional energy. Projecting ourselves into the past or the future ultimately results in anxiety, confusion, and angst. It is the present–the most powerful place to be–that creates the future.
You Really Can Be in the Present Moment – Here’s How
You’ve probably heard of the Holy Grail. It’s described as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous powers that provide happiness, eternal youth and infinite abundance. After all of these centuries it has yet to be found. But what if the Holy Grail is the present moment found within and locating it is simply just a moment away? To paraphrase Ekhart Tolle, it’s all we really have. When we surrender to the present moment, a fieldof infinite, creative possibilities open up. We ultimately realize that all this field wants to do is shower us with blessings. Finally, if we can string even just a few of those present moments together we enter a state of being called flow. It’s the opposite of pushing the river. What a delicious place to be!
5 Steps to Help You Relax into the Present Moment
Stop • Feel • Look • Listen • Trust
Stop Even if it’s only for 10 seconds, stop what you’re doing. This can literally mean stop doing the laundry or it can mean stop the incessant chatter in your head.
Look Literally look around you. Notice what is in your immediate environment. Again, do not place judgments on what you are looking at. Just look and notice.
Feel Why feel? Because it is the most direct route to moving into the present moment. When we feel, we move into our bodies. We gather all of our energy that was stuck in the past or projected into the future back home into the present. We can only be in the present moment if we are in our bodies! After stopping, take a slow, deep, and gentle breath. I nvite your energy to move into your body, ideally down into your low belly and feet. Ask yourself how you feel in this moment. No judgment! Just receive whatever information your body is telling you.
Listen Ask yourself what is it I most need to know in this moment? What information in this moment is the most valuable to me? Then listen. You may actually hear the answer, or you may be given a sign, sense a feeling inside you, and/or receive an image.
Trust Trust the information you receive and act on it. This can sometimes be the most challenging part of these five steps. But each time we take a leap of faith and trust, the next time it gets easier. With this last step we begin to realize that we are never alone and that loving support and guidance are always available to us.
It’s no surprise that a growing body of scientific evidence proves that when we are in the present moment, also called mindfulness, we function at a more highly effective level. For an excellent movie that showcases this worldwide brain research check out The Mindfulness Movie at gaia.com
Qigong, sometimes called mindfulness meditation, is an easy way to help us get into the present moment. Stay tuned for a simple two-minute video that demonstrates an easy way drop into the present moment.