Finding our seats at the holiday table

With the holidays approaching, this is the season where many of us get swallowed by family dynamics and the temptations we use to soften them. Our nervous systems slip into old grooves, and landing in the present moment becomes a hard (and often undesirable) thing to do.

How often do you manage to arrive in the present moment—fully, not conceptually?

Give us a rough estimate in the comments.

If you want to take it deeper:

What pulls you into the present moment?

What do you notice when you manage to arrive in the here and now?

What helps you stay anchored here—especially under pressure?

I'm not talking about presence as a spiritual idea---rather as a physiological skill.

Presence, as it turns out, is the foundational capacity of all relational work. Whether that relationship is to yourself or others.

Half the clients I’ve worked with couldn’t land in the present moment at all when they began because of perpetual low grade activation states (fight, flight freeze). They described this as "go mode" always on the move and needing to get things done.

Many others couldn’t land on demand, but described being thrust into it by something beautiful (like a rainbow) or something jarring...

And even the clients with a strong meditation practice struggle to stay “seated” in themselves when in the midst of confrontation.

Let's keep each other grounded, steady and connected as we move through this season by sharing what works.

Shannon | The Practice Field

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