The Power of Presence

In meditation class the other night, we stood facing a partner and settled into mountain pose, standing tall, feet ‘anchored’ to the floor. One member of the pair, with eyes closed, slowly raised their hands above their head and began the exercise, noticing every sound, feeling, thought, sensation, emotion and movement experienced 'in the moment', speaking each one out loud as it passed through their consciousness… “cool breeze on my feet”, “car passing by outside”, “shoulders starting to ache”, “feeling calm tonight”….  Their partner observed silently, concentrating, paying attention, and really being present. The exercise lasted 8 minutes, a chime sounded and without saying a word, we reversed roles. It was very powerful, giving the gift of presence, cultivating respect for the other person’s dignity.
The experience reminded me of a moving narrative published recently in the Journal of Palliative Medicine. It is a mother's story about caring and the power of presence.  The significance of the Phil Collin's song "You'll Be in My Heart" becomes apparent toward the end of the article.

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