 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Doorways of Support and Inspiration:: The Power of Presence Audrey Mairi All around us is a life-giving, life-regulating power that always has been and always will be. Called the Life Force, it is the active aspect of the intelligence that is the Source of all life. The most healing, empowering, and creative act we can do for ourselves is to consciously connect to this force, which can only be experienced in the present moment. In the present moment connection is automatic. Such a connection is not intellectual; it is a feeling. Having a mental understanding of the subject merely points the way to the experience; it is not the experience itself. “You can’t try to get it,” Dr. Milton Trager, developer of the TragerÒ Approach, said. “…to try is to fail. You don’t try. To try is effort and effort is tension. We don’t try. We just allow it to happen.” This is a paradigm shift. Most are caught up in trying, in exerting as much effort as they can to get their desired outcome. Few have learned how to not try. They have no experience of what effortlessness feels like, and therefore even less experience being connected to the Life Force. People who consciously connect to the Life Force describe it as a feeling of peace, or lightness of being. Others use words such as stability, joy, empowerment, clarity, and a sense of homecoming. But whatever words we put to it, what matters is the feeling in our body/mind. Trager is a practical approach to living, not just a way to fix pain in the body. Its practicality is its magic. Those who embrace the Trager Approach quickly learn that it works best when applied to all areas of life. For example, when we wash the dishes, or type at a computer, or lay hands on a client’s body, we do the same thing: we allow ourselves to show up in the present moment, and thereby “hook-up” to the feelings inherent in the Life Force. This is where our power comes from, and where lasting healing is accessed. To foster a connection we use a series of simple tools. These tools can be used anywhere, anytime, and by anyone no matter their physical condition. Dr. Trager called these tools MentasticsÒ (derived from the two words mental gymnastics). In my book, Trager for Self-Healing: A Practical Guide for Living in the Present Moment, I discuss a variety of Mentastics, but for now let’s look at the three most basic ones. They are: 1) pausing, 2) mindful breathing, and 3) feeling the weight. They sound simple, but when used consistently the effect on our lives is profound. These tools will lead us out of our spinning mind and into a present moment experience where our negativity floats away, leaving peace. Imagine giving a speech and being able to release your anxiety, accessing instead clarity and joy. Imagine letting loose your apprehension over your aging mother’s health, and being able to access love and trust. Imagine after your vacation feeling overwhelmed by a three week back-log of work, then letting it go to be replaced by a sense of stability and lightness. Before we can consciously connect to the Life Force, the first thing we need to do is apply the breaks to our doing, both in our mind and body, and…pause. Stop talking, stop walking, stop worrying, fretting, controlling, and…pause. A pause helps us to become the observer instead of the reactor. It is a gateway that opens our body/mind to the intelligent life-giving, life-regulating power all around us. The second thing we do is…breath mindfully. After a pause we put our awareness on our breath, taking our attention from out there and placing it in here. With practice, we become centered, like being at the hub of a wheel. At the hub, our perspective broadens, becoming multifaceted. Our assumptions soften. We awaken to the realization that we are not the pains we feel, or the thoughts we have—they are only one or two spokes of our wheel—but are instead part of a interconnected web of consciousness. Once we have paused our doing and our thinking and have centered ourselves through mindful breathing, we enter a present moment experience by feeling weight. When we pay attention to the downward pull of gravity we enter into the physicality of the here and now. The next time you are putting the groceries away, doing the dishes, or lifting a hammer, feel the weight as you move the object through space. The next time you are holding the hand of someone you love, pause, breathe, and feel its weight. Rather than holding it up, let it rest in your palm. You will experience a positive life-affirming sensation. This is a present moment experience. Try it. Right now. Wherever you are. 1. Pause. Let go of reading this article. 2. Become mindful of your breath—like an umbrella opening and closing. 3. Now shift your body from side to side. Feel its weight move through space.If you use these three simple tools throughout your day you will feel differently. Your awareness of the Life Force flowing through your body/mind will grow and bloom, and in turn so will your empowerment, wellness, and creativity. This is the power of Presence. Based on the book Trager for Self-Healing: A Practical Guide for Living in the Present Moment © 2006 by Audrey Mairi. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com or 800-972-6657 ext. 52. Audrey Mairi is a Senior Trager Practitioner, tutor, workshop leader, electives teacher and author of Trager for Self-Healing: A Practical Guide for Living in the Present Moment, H J Kramer/New World Library publishers. For more information contact: www.audreymairi.com or www.newworldlibrary.com
Copyright © 2000-2007 Life Challenges |