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30 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 8 SAVVY SELF-CARE best practices Heal with Your Presence Three Superpowers for Synergizing Body, Heart, and Mind By Heath and Nicole Reed GROUNDING AND CENTERING Presencing is a superpower for synergizing your body, heart, and mind. It is the conscious direction of your attention to what is occurring in the here and now (rather than what happened before, might happen later, or some other daydream apart from the present). When we are present, we become more available to what is emerging, and more resourceful and open to infinite possibilities. Presencing sets in motion our creative energies by continually refreshing our attention within the current of the ever-changing now. Presencing fortifies a sense of feeling engaged and connected to what is and who we are with. And when we are present, we invite others to do the same. Our presence invites others to show up in powerful ways in their own unique presence. We heal with our presence. Grounding and centering are examples of presencing moves. We experience these as opportunities to locate ourselves in space—not just the space below our feet (the ground), but locating ourselves within our body, our breath, and in the circulation of our attention (finding our center). And, as portals to presencing, grounding and centering allow us to give our sensitive attention to the foundation and fulcrum of all our relationships—inside and out. We notice many massage therapists ground or center at the beginning and end of a session. Presencing is the invitation to ground throughout the entire bodywork session, all the way to the end. Presencing all the way through an event, a session, or any task minimizes miscommunication, disappointment, and confusion, and generates greater connection, positive impact, and mutual appreciation. As we've evolved in our own practices, we've amplified our presencing moves catalog to include and go beyond grounding and centering. These moves are doorways One of our favorite practices—both on and off the table—is to play with the power of presence. Have you ever been experiencing a rough time, and then someone enters into your space and you immediately feel better? This is an example of how we can heal with our presence. In our experience, the most powerful healing occurs not because of what we do, but as a direct result of how we do it. Since we started team-teaching 17 years ago, we have advocated "your presence is more important than your techniques." Here, we'd like to share some easy ways to juice up your presence and create more impactful connections and therapeutic results. We like to imagine these practices in ways that transmute the passive noun presence into the present-tense action verb presencing. If you're willing, let's play with some of our favorite presencing moves!