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The importance of the present

Writer's picture: Mer GonzálezMer González

What is it to be in a meditative state? For me, it has nothing to do with having a "blank mind", but rather, it is a state of mind of full observation.



But what does it mean to be in full observation. I interpret this as a state of mind focused on the present, where the mind is listening to the thoughts (without getting caught up in them) and, in turn, is able to feel the body, without getting caught up in the sensations.


And when, even for a brief moment, you are in this state of full presence, something inside you changes forever.


But it is no easy task for our minds, because we have naturally taught our minds to be in the complete opposite state. Instead of calm, they are in excitement. Instead of observation, they are in talking (thinking). Instead of presence, they are focused on the future or remembering the past. And, because of this, it is a hard task to connect with the present moment.


It is difficult, but not impossible. What happens when you are doing something you are passionate about, or when you have an orgasm? The mind, in those moments, is so focused on the present moment, on the present task, or on the sensations, that it does not jump from future to past, nor from past to future, but stays here and now. The point is to train the mind to be well in the present, even when we are bored, or we don't like what we are feeling.

There are several methods for this. I like to call them keys that open the door to presence. In my personal experience, what has brought me to a deep state and helped me to educate this chattering and restless mind that accompanies me, is stillness (physical and mental). Although I have recently discovered that with body movement, but a mind in stillness (trance), is another way to deepen the practice of presence.


Vipassana meditation, active meditation (maindfulness), breathwork, body work, dance, among many other options, are very powerful keys that help to observe, to be and to be.


But nothing you practise will be effective if it is the Ego that observes and not the mind. When the Ego observes, which it does not, it is judging (self and others). We identify with those thoughts coming from the Ego and we are over-identifying with a "mind" that is not mind and is not us. We begin to act in an inflexible and individualistic way. However, when the mind observes, even though the Ego speaks, we observe that it is the Ego that is taking the floor and we let it go, not believing what it says. Just as when the mind thinks, we understand that it is the mind thinking, or when the body feels, it is the body feeling. But we will not over-identify with them, simply observing them and learning, listening to what resides within us.


And this is how we walk the path of self-knowledge, discovering what mind and body we have, how they interact, observing our defence mechanisms, giving space to the Ego and accessing the wisdom that resides within all of us.


Dare to know yourself.



At Merak we personalise the process to you. We consider that each person is different and we believe that a process cannot come out of a template, but that it is necessary to adapt to the person who is on the way. We help from the present, creating a safe space where the person can explore on their own. Do not hesitate to contact us and start your own journey.

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