For a long time, I lived anywhere but here. I was either running toward the future, always planning, always preparing—or stuck in the past, replaying conversations, reliving decisions, or wishing things had been different. I didn’t notice how much of life I was missing. I didn’t know there was another way to be.
This way of living crept in quietly. I didn’t think of it as a problem—it was just life, wasn’t it? Moving fast, being productive, staying ahead. But the symptoms were there: the constant restlessness, the inability to sit still without my mind racing, and the subtle but unshakable sense that something was missing. I would go for walks but barely see the world around me. I would sit with friends, hearing their words but not really listening. I would finish a meal and wonder where it had gone because I hadn’t tasted a single bite. It’s strange to feel so alive on the outside yet so disconnected within.
The shift began during my yoga teacher training. I didn’t go into it looking for “presence”—I didn’t even really know what that meant back then. I just wanted to deepen my practice. But somewhere between the long, rigorous hours of yoga asana and the wisdom of yoga philosophy, something happened. At first, it felt small, almost unnoticeable. It was in the moments when I held a pose longer than felt comfortable—when my mind screamed to move, but my body stayed still. It was in the rhythm of my breath, as I learned to match each inhale to movement, each exhale to release. It was in the simple awareness of my feet pressing into the earth or the weight of my body resting on the mat.
Slowly, I started to feel something I hadn’t felt in a long time: here. Fully here. Not in the past, not in the future, but in this very moment. In the stretch of my body. In the rise and fall of my breath. In the space that exists between thoughts when everything else falls away.
The practice of presence didn’t come easily. I resisted it. My mind, so used to running the show, would pull me away again and again. I would think of emails I hadn’t sent, plans I hadn’t made, mistakes I hadn’t forgiven myself for. But something deeper kept calling me back—to the breath, to the body, to now. And the more I practiced, the more I realized that this moment—the one I had been racing past for years—held everything I was searching for: peace, clarity, connection.
Being present isn’t about doing something extraordinary. It’s about showing up for the ordinary moments with your full attention—because that’s where life actually happens. It’s in the way the sun feels on your skin during a morning walk. It’s in the sound of a loved one’s voice, the taste of your food, the feeling of the earth beneath your feet. Presence is the simple act of being here—and that simplicity is what makes it so powerful.
In my work now, I see how many of us live as I once did—disconnected, distracted, and always looking for something more. And it’s all about coming back to yourself through the breath and the body. Because presence isn’t something you “think” your way into. It’s something you feel. It’s in the breath that grounds you, the sensations that wake you up, the stillness that allows you to listen deeply to yourself.
If you’d like to begin experiencing the power of presence, here are a few ways to start:
1. Breathe with Awareness: Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths. Notice where you feel the breath in your body—your chest, your belly, or your nose. Let yourself be fully there with each inhale and exhale.
2. Body Scan: Sit or lie down and close your eyes. Start at your feet and move up through your body, noticing sensations as you go. Where do you feel tension? Where do you feel ease? Bring your attention to each part of yourself without judgment.
3. Move Slowly and Intentionally: Choose an everyday activity—like walking, eating, or drinking tea—and do it with full awareness. Notice the sensations, the sights, the sounds. Allow yourself to be fully present with the experience, as though it’s the first time you’ve ever done it.
4. Ground Through Your Senses: If you’re feeling scattered or overwhelmed, pause and focus on your senses. What can you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste? Anchoring yourself in the senses brings you back to the moment.
Presence isn’t about perfection—it’s about practice. It’s choosing, over and over again, to return to yourself, to your body, to this moment. It’s a process of slowing down, of feeling what’s real, of rediscovering the life that’s already happening around you.
The truth is, life doesn’t wait for us to show up. It’s happening now, in every breath, every step, every heartbeat. The question is: are you here for it?
Love
JJ