The Practice of Presence

The Practice of Presence is about making a new start by coming alive to this present moment, wherever we are, without changing our conditions. It is in the present that we will find meaning and heal the wounds caused by hate, violence and the suffering that is an inevitable part of life. By practicing attention to our own presence we can learn to receive in a new way everything that comes toward us — the demands, the seductions, the possibilities for joy and nurture.

In The Practice of Presence the reader will find practical guidance on how to seek daily what we truly desire behind all the urgencies and obligations of our lives: contact with our own immediate inner truth. The book contains the seminal ideas and experiential activities of five great spiritual paths as seen through the lens of a seeker’s experience. Some of them are well known like T’ai Chi, prayer and meditation. Others, like the Alexander Technique and Jungian studies, are not usually thought of as spiritual, and the Gurdjieff teaching is relatively unknown.

Each of these paths to wholeness is complementary to the others, calling on the body, mind and feeling in unique ways that can lead to a growing integration of all three. The author, Patty de Llosa, has studied all of these paths intensively for many years, while pursuing fulltime activities as a journalist, parent and teacher.

The Practice of Presence has been translated into Spanish and Czech and an audio recording read by the author is available. See www.practiceofpresence.com.