One of the things that used to truly baffle me as a writer (and as an activist) was how to stay present.
Wasn't it my job as a writer to go back to the past and explore it?
Wasn't it my job as a writer and thinker to understand history and to imagine, and be a voice for, what I wanted for the future?
How could I do these things and also be present? When I was sitting at my desk writing, was I really being present?
I wondered if I even wanted to be present. Was the multi-billion dollar self-help industry's embrace of presence another "opium of the people," and another way to keep women quiet and in their place?
I was lucky to have teachers I respected. Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings in particular touched me. He had lived through wars and risked his life to help people. He had been forced into exile because of his peace work. And yet, he was teaching presence, an ability to be with what was instead of forcing it away.
Over time, and much practice, I came to understand that what at first seemed paradoxical was not really paradoxical.
We can't jump over our own shadow; whether we are looking back to our past or looking ahead to our future, we can only do that from where we are right now. In fact, usually it is a deep listening to the present and the demands of the present that call us back and forward.
And whether we approve of what is happening or not, our thoughts and our judgments alone don't have the power to change things. We are in the present moment, whether we like it or not.
So what we can do, as writers, and also as meditators and activists, is to ground into reality, ground into what is, and from that place of embodied presence, we are more able to meet both the past and the future with open-hearted compassion, imaginative possibility, and more effective action.
These times are difficult. And practicing both presence and vision are all the more important!
I want to invite you to join me for an immersive in-person Presence & Vision Poetry Retreat this coming fall at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.
There is something truly transformative about blocking off time and gathering together in person for an experience where you go deep into an area of focus and creation with support and community. We need to continue to support our nervous systems, cultivate presence, realize our creative visions, and be together, esp. in these times.
I would absolutely love to see you there!
with love,
Nadia