The Space Between

In the past few months, I’ve discovered what I now call the Presence Point. It is the place inside me where Presence lives; an inner stillness that is not bound by time, money, obligations, and pressures. That it exists is not surprising. Jesus promised it. So did Buddha. And all other true spiritual masters. That I found it is surprising. After all, I’m no Zen master. I’ve had Restless Everything Syndrome my entire life. What is most surprising, however, is where I found it.

But first, I must give proper credit to the resource that put me on this path. In May of this year, my dear friend and soul collaborator, Rusty Tinder, recommended a book by Michael Brown called “The Presence Process”. Now, if the book recommendation hadn’t come from Rusty, I probably would have just added it to my books-to-read list and moved on. But Rusty is probably the most conscious man I know. He’s done a shit ton of inner work. Plus, we have similar personalities and tendencies. So if he was recommending this book, I knew I had to read it.

I would best describe the book as a highly practical and more structured version of Eckhart Tolle’s “Power of Now.” I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself, but here’s a very brief description of the Presence Process:

• 15 minutes of breathwork twice per day. Nothing complicated or difficult.

• During the breath work, you are only allowed to receive sensorial input, fully feel any emotions or bodily sensations/discomforts that arise, and count (if needed) your breath. This means no ruminating about the past, no projecting into the future, no reviewing your to-do list. Unlike traditional meditation, you are not trying to quiet your mind or even observe your mind. You are ignoring your mind.