Episode 151 Presence v Focus

In today's episode, Becky Berry and Diana Bader talk about the difference between presence and focus.   Being present is being fully engaged in the moment. It's taking the time to listen fully.    Since energy flows to where our  thoughts go, when our thoughts are scattered, our energy is also scattered. Being present mentally and physically keeps us aligned.    When our energy is aligned, our thoughts are calmer. The act of being present allows us to focus.    We have to engage our bodies before our minds. When we align our bodies, and ground ourselves physically in the present, we think more clearly.    Focus is a brain activity. When we bring our energy into the moment we can bring our minds into it, too.   Diana has Becky do the 5 Senses Exercise to demonstrate how to be present (aka grounded). Here's how it works:  We look around and name 5 things we see.  We close our eyes, listen closely, then name 4 things we hear. We reach out and touch 3 things and notice how they feel.  We sniff and identify 2 things we smell. We identify 1 thing we can taste.    As we go through the exercise, it brings us back into our bodies and into the present moment.    Where our energy goes, our mind flows.  The book referred to in this episode is The Extended Mind: The Power of the Thinking Outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul.