About This Lesson

When Grandpa Howard arrives, we can see how he embodies the state of consciousness that is at ease and aligned with the present moment. He lives in a state of presence. We see how present he is in every situation, how he listens attentively to Jane, Milton and Bill. At times, when Jane refers to negative, unconscious experiences from the past, he removes himself from the situation. He is non reactive to situations but also very accepting of those around him. This is the state of presence that Grandpa Howard embodies.

1Are there times when you feel fully present with members of your family? How does that look / sound / feel?

 

2Have you ever been distracted by your thoughts when someone is trying to talk to you? In other words, not fully present for the conversation or interaction? How does that look / sound / feel?

 

3What can you do to be more fully present with your family members when they engage you in an activity or conversation?

Presence involves bringing our full attention to our present experience. When we do this, we experience our activities differently. Routine activities can become new and more interesting and we often feel more connected to what we are doing. Approaching activities with a “beginner’s mind” or as if one has never done it before is one way of putting one’s self into this kind of highly conscious state.

One way to experience this conscious state, is to invite each person in the family to engage in a mindful tasting activity. Pass around a dish of seedless grapes and invite each person to choose one. When everyone has a grape, encourage each person to slowly, mindfully eat it, savouring each small bite and really noticing how their grape looks, feels and tastes. Encourage everyone to really slow down the eating process and be fully present for every bite. When everyone is done, discuss how slowing down and really being present changes the way they felt eating the grape. How was it different from the usual way we eat?
As each person shares their experience, have each family member really practice being fully present to what they are saying.

This activity can be done with a variety of food and even during an entire meal. Being fully present and conscious could also be applied to other activities like a family walk, bike ride, etc. Even a chore like folding laundry can be done in a mindful way that allows you to be fully present – slowly taking each garment, feeling the texture, smelling it, remembering seeing it on someone, before folding it and putting it away.