HEALING PRESENCE     
Copyright 1994 by Lisa McColley Anderson, M.S.

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves, is the gift of Presence.  Presence can be defined in a number of ways.  One of the more meaningful ways, spoken of in psychological, philosophical, and numerous religious traditions, is that of staying in the here and now.  This has often been referred to as staying in the moment.  By doing this we neither concern ourselves with the troubles of the past, nor worry about the future.  Rather, the lessons of the past enrich the present moment.  And the quality of the present moment, determines the direction of the future. 

Our opportunity then, is to get the most we can out of every moment.  We learn to view life as a wondrous journey, and every moment becomes a means by which we can beautify our approach to life.  What then, constitutes the quality of the moments of our lives?  No matter what the thought, feeling, or action, we are able to stay present, observing what is happening in a conscious, clear way.  We are there for ourselves.  We are there for others.  We are present.  And in being present we are able to embrace each moment, with the full potential of our being.  How can this be done?

First, it is important to learn the practice of conscious observation of ourselves.  We need to realize that no matter what the thought, feeling, or action we are presented with, it is merely a reflection of who we are.  It is not US, so to speak.  Since WE are much more than the sum total of all thoughts, feelings, and actions we can possibly experience.  Second, we need to identify WHO we really are.  The secret of all spiritual work is that of IDENTIFICATION.  All spiritual traditions aim towards this goal of anchoring your sense of identity in the Eternal.  The ability to hold this inward identity, despite any outward events, is what leads to Spiritual Mastery, Inner Peace, and Poise.  Third, anchored in our identification with the Eternal, we need to embrace every aspect of our Being, with utmost compassion.  In this way, we become a Healing Presence for ourselves, and also those around us.  Our Be-ing-ness radiates a quality of deep insight and connectedness with the whole, something which again, all spiritual teachings have us strive for.

What can we do to achieve these three simple steps?  Though the answers may vary, the best means I know of are through meditation.  Meditation is a word, like love, which can mean many different things to different people.  There are dozens of types of meditation practice.  In my fifteen years of intensified meditation work, both as a student of several disciplines, and as a teacher of meditation, I have discovered there are several layers to meditation practice.  Some layers work with our physical nature.  These include learning to pay attention to our physical needs, to respect our physical bodies, to reduce stress, induce relaxation, and achieve mastery over the physical instrument.  Other layers work with our emotional nature.  This includes healing disturbed emotional states, doing therapeutic or inner child work, and enhancing through visualization our capacity to respond with a positive and life affirming emotional state.  Then, there are the layers which deal with the mind.  All concentration exercises fall under this category.  So do affirmations, seed thought work, and some levels of creative meditation (the ability to manifest what you want in life, or make your dreams come true).  But, TRUE meditation work, goes deeper than all these layers.  It reaches towards a state of absolute stillness.  The mind, emotions, body, and outer environment drop from our awareness.  Instead, we reach a center point.  A place of deep calm, often akin to deep levels of sleep, yet achieving this while the "body" is awake.  At this advanced stage of meditation we can at last penetrate our true nature, embrace that identity with the whole, and deepen the ability to abide in that Healing Presence which alone can bring us true peace. 


Lisa McColley Anderson, M.S. holds two Master's degrees.  The first in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling.  The second is in Spiritual Psychology.  For the past fifteen years, she has been a therapist, teacher, and healer in primarily the Los Angeles vicinity, and also in the San Francisco Bay area.  Currently, she teaches meditation and philosophy classes nationwide on the computer internet, via AOL (Nature of the Soul, and Healing:  Soul, Mind, Body);  and also as a meditation teacher and counselor, leading retreats entitled LIVING AS SOUL, in Maui.  She is regularly featured on the radio, and has a monthly column in a Central California magazine, called Information Press  (circulation 30,000).  (This article is an excerpt from the column).  To date her reach as a teacher and healer is becoming internationally known.  Lisa now resides on the beautiful Central California Coast where she writes, teaches, and offers counseling sessions via the computer and phone.  To arrange an appointment E-mail via AOL, LgWithin@aol.com