As an Unschooling parent, I learn so much alongside my children. I do not pour knowledge into them as the "all-knowing" wise one, or hover over them simply observing as they follow through with activities that I dictate. Our life isn't like that.Our life is a dance of authentic connection and respect.
It's important that my kids see me learning, growing and pursuing my passions and interests, as well as nurturing theirs. Sometimes it is hard to surrender to my creative side. I've pretty much mastered being present with my kids at this point in our Unschooling lives. It can be harder sometimes for me to be Present with myself.
What does being Present truly mean?
For some people it is a way of life. For others it remains a mystery and a challenge, while for yet others it’s an unfathomable concept. Over the years I’ve come to more fully appreciate the underlying dynamic that ‘being present’ evokes. My current understanding is that a first aspect is to ‘be present with yourself in your experience of the moment you’re in'. The deeper aspect is about inviting our ‘inner presence’ into our lives. This requires a whole lot more than merely being physically present.
Some ways in which I practice being Present is doing Kundalini Yoga, painting, being out in nature and focusing on my inner body while exercising. Our minds are only a tool. They aren't *Us*. Most people in our culture spend their time either thinking about the past or worrying about the future. This is a way of living on autopilot. It takes a conscious effort to connect with our Inner Beings and who we really are and step out of our minds and simply Be in the Now.
By inviting ourselves ‘to be present’ moment to moment, we tune in to a higher frequency of awareness. We open to a state of curiosity, creativity and wonder. And, in so doing we partner with life and our sub-conscious mind to show us more of who we truly are. We invite our spirit, our essence, our core being into our life. And the moment our Spirit joins in, that is when we Sparkle!
4 comments:
This is a wonderful thaught, Dayna. Thank ylu for sharing! I wish so very much to be in the presence of such a person in my daily life, to experience how it feels for the child to have such a person by her side. And I wolud love to be Present with my children and my family in the NOW. I manage to do it only sometimes. And it feels good.
What a lovely post. Thank you, Dayna.
*sighing with joy*
Blessings,
Nikki
I am striving to achieve 'being in the now' in my daily life, after all it is really all there is. The past has gone, the future is an unknown quantity, now is all there is and we owe it to ourselves to be fully present in it.
I had a beautiful afternoon today and was fully in the now, we went to a bluebell wood for our home ed art club to paint with watercolour. I sat side by side with my son of 9yrs and we chatted and painted for two hours together. Fully immersed in the sounds, smells and colour of the woodland with its blue haze of flowers, we were so at ease with ourselves and each other, it was bliss.
I am loving your blog and your website, you speak so much sense, thank you, I only wish we could be neighbours! But I'll have to make do with being cyber neighbours instead.
This post has really inspired me; being present is something I struggle with hugely. I am a dreamer, and I like to dream of the future. When I challenge myself, I worry that if I am constantly thinking of the future, I miss out on the moments I am currently living through. I am going to begin making a concerted effort to alter my ways. Thank you for sharing, Dayna!
Elvie
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