Live Satsang Soul Circle 9/3/23 - this month's theme is DHARANA or presence and focus.

Audio only: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zmKovqfyA_CN0dROFgJOcpHjsIkwlMjX/view

Where focus goes, energy flows
Where energy flows, focus goes

Richard Freeman: “A basic axiom of yoga is that Prana and citta (the mind) move together like two fish swimming in tandem. Move one, and the other automatically follow”

Past – What am I actively replaying? Is there value in this replay? What will I gain or learn from replaying? Or is it like probing a sore in your mouth incessantly? Or aggravating a hangnail?

Present – Am I even present? If I am, how much of what I’m focusing on feels in alignment with my values for this one precious life? If not, what changes can I make?

Future – What am I actively visualizing? What benefit is there to this visualizing? Am I missing the opportunities of the present moment? Am I fostering a when/then mentality that will leave me perpetually dissatisfied with the present? Grass is greener in the future?

What practices could you engage to support presence?

- Meditation
- Journaling
- “Just this”

Be present with simple things – the sensations in your body, the food in your mouth, the words coming out of another’s mouth, body language, nature

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding in PRESENT exercise

5 things I can see
4 things I can touch
3 things I can hear
2 things I can smell
1 thing I can taste