Setting the Intention to be Present
Not long ago, I returned from vacation— a blend of car-camping, hiking, and backpacking where I was fortunate to spend most or all of every day outdoors. I was fortunate in this, and I was intentional. This trip was big for me: like many of us, a trip away from home is more special and rare now than it has ever been — we treasure times away and plan them with care… and we hold plans lightly because we have seen them change in the blink of an eye.
Because this trip was so big and special, I knew that I wouldn’t want it to be over quickly, and the best way I know of to make time slow down is to be PRESENT, to make a real practice of being present, soaking up each moment right in the midst of it. Otherwise, we can end up wondering where the day went while we anticipated the next moment, and the next, always living somewhere else than here-and-now.
In the week before the trip, I spent time thinking and writing about my intentions, and this is what came to me: Intentions for inviting time outdoors to be meaningful and sacred medicine:
The process of setting intentions is powerful, cognitively and energetically. The act of writing them down helped me to get very clear about what was important to me about this time away. And later, during the trip, I found myself effortlessly returning to these intentions again and again because they were fresh in my mind. Again and again, I found myself remembering: Be present now— soak this into your spirit. Surrender to what is being taught in this moment.
It was a beautiful trip, one of awe-moments (seeing a bear! finding strength in my body that surprised me! swimming in an alpine lake!) and while I know I can’t hold on to vacation forever, the intention to be present helps me to know that I didn’t miss it while it was happening.
This month at the Studio, we’re offering plenty of invitations to be intentional: to get clear and compassionate with your boundaries in the Fierce Compassion course, to take an active role in your health and wellbeing with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, to take action to embody your values with Spiritual Activism, and to make space for practice in our monthly offerings. I hope you’ll join us.
Wishing you presence in this moment, Katie
