Get ready to be inspired in just about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea (about 2 minutes)! And if you’ve got your feet up and that tea’s still hot, we’ve got a whole buffet of brilliance waiting for you on our menu.
A message from today’s meditation:
We’re stepping into this week with Jeff Foster as our teacher and really, you would be doing yourself a favour if you did a Google search of “Jeff Foster quotes”, his work is amazing.
If you’ve meditated much with us before, you’ll know that I like to start the week by setting intention, by becoming clear about what I want to create this week.
In our hyperconnected world, we’ve become masters at living everywhere except where life actually happens: right here, right now. We plan obsessively for tomorrow while replaying yesterday’s highlights and mistakes, missing the only moment where real change is possible.
Jeff’s message for our week can be summarised as follows:
PLAN AHEAD and also PRESENT IN THE MOMENT.
Of course we can plan ahead but we must be clear that the place where we create our future is here and now, by taking action right here in this very moment. Don’t get stuck in the thinking and the planning, but immerse yourself in this moment. Pour your energy into the only place where you can cause an effect… the opportunity that this very moment makes available to you.
“Tomorrow’s integration is not my job. The story of yesterday’s awakening is irrelevant now. Here and now is where life is. And there is only here and now.” – Jeff Foster
“True meditation is not a ‘doing’, not a task to accomplish or a process leading towards some future goal or state for the hungry seeker – it is pure, child-like fascination with the moment. Fascination with thoughts, with sensations, with feelings, with sounds, with fascination itself – with what is, right now. It is radically being here, and noticing in fascination the desire to get ‘there’ arising and dissolving.” – Jeff Foster
Consider how much mental energy you spend replaying conversations, worrying about outcomes, or planning scenarios that may never materialize. That energy, scattered across time, becomes unavailable for the tasks and opportunities directly in front of you. It’s like trying to carry water in a bucket full of holes – most of your effort leaks away before reaching its intended destination.
The practice of present-moment awareness transforms scattered energy into focused power. Instead of being pulled in multiple directions, you gather your full attention and apply it where it can actually create change. Each moment presents us with a choice: we can engage with what’s actually happening, or we can remain lost in mental stories about what was or might be.
Energy spent on anything that is not in this present moment is always wasted. Spend your energy only on what this moment asks you to step up and do.
Today’s meditation is a “full dress rehearsal” for the week ahead. Come along and set yourself up for success this week.
A few thoughts to help ground you in presence this week:
- Where am I right now, in this very moment?
- What action can I take, right now, to contribute to my goals?
- Am I caught up in the “story” of the past or future?
- What is this moment asking me to step up and do?
By anchoring ourselves in the present moment, we can channel our energy into the tasks at hand. Every moment holds the potential to transform your week from scattered energy to focused action. Remember, the power to create lies entirely in the present moment. So breathe, be present, and step into your week with intention!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Jumpstart the week!
A moment of reflection
(If you have the time, use this question as a journal prompt, because whenever you put pen to paper you’re wiring the neural pathways that create your new habits. But if you don’t have the time, just take a moment to reflect on your response.)
Shape your story telling: Reflect on a significant challenge or goal you’re currently facing. Write two versions of this situation: first, describe it from the perspective of someone caught up in past regrets and future anxieties. Then, rewrite the same situation from the viewpoint of someone completely anchored in the present moment. What actions become available to you in the second version that weren’t visible in the first? How does your relationship to the challenge transform when you remove the stories of “what was” and “what might be”?
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/81wJSk8_fZk 2025
https://youtu.be/paPK1LhaS2U 2024
https://youtu.be/fPCFBijl46I 2023
Q&A for deeper learning
1. Q: I understand the importance of being present, but I can’t stop my mind from constantly planning and worrying. Am I failing at this practice?
A: You’re not failing—you’re being human. The goal isn’t to stop your mind from thinking about the future or past; it’s to develop awareness when this happens and gently return to the present. Every time you notice your mind has wandered and you consciously bring your attention back, you’re succeeding at the practice. Think of it like training a puppy: patience, consistency, and compassion work better than harsh self-criticism. The wandering mind isn’t the problem—it’s the lack of awareness about the wandering that keeps us stuck.
2. Q: Doesn’t focusing only on the present moment make me irresponsible about planning for the future?
A: Present-moment awareness actually enhances responsible planning rather than eliminating it. When you plan from a grounded, present state, your planning becomes more realistic and effective because you’re not operating from anxiety or past conditioning. The key distinction is between conscious planning (which happens in the present moment) and unconscious mental spinning about hypothetical futures. One is productive action; the other is energy drain.
3. Q: I feel guilty when I try to be present because it seems selfish to focus on myself when there’s so much suffering in the world.
A: Being present isn’t about self-absorption—it’s about becoming more available to respond to life, including the suffering around you. When you’re scattered across past regrets and future fears, you have less capacity to offer meaningful help to others. Present-moment awareness often increases empathy and effective action because you’re responding from clarity rather than reactive emotions. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and presence helps ensure your cup remains full.
4. Q: How do I know if I’m truly present or just telling myself I am?
A: Genuine presence has distinctive qualities: you feel more spacious internally, your breathing deepens naturally, and you experience less mental chatter. You might notice increased sensitivity to your environment—sounds seem clearer, colors more vivid, or physical sensations more noticeable. True presence also often comes with a sense of aliveness or energy that feels different from the drain of scattered thinking. Trust your body’s wisdom; it knows the difference between authentic presence and mental concepts about presence.
5. Q: What do I do when being present brings up uncomfortable emotions or memories?
A: Discomfort arising during present-moment awareness is often a sign that the practice is working—you’re finally creating space to feel what has been pushed aside. Approach these emotions with the same fascination Jeff Foster describes: can you be curious about the physical sensations, the thoughts that arise, without immediately trying to fix or escape them? If overwhelming emotions surface, it’s wise to seek support from a therapist or counselor. Presence isn’t about spiritual bypassing; it’s about creating safe space for whatever needs to be felt and healed.
6. Q: I have ADHD/anxiety/depression. Does this mean present-moment practices aren’t for me?
A: Mental health conditions don’t disqualify you from benefiting from presence practices—they may actually make these tools more valuable, though you might need to adapt the approach. For those with ADHD, shorter practice periods and movement-based presence techniques often work better. For anxiety, grounding exercises that connect you to physical sensations can be helpful. For depression, gentle self-compassion combined with presence can prevent the spiral into past regrets or future fears. Always work with mental health professionals who understand both your condition and contemplative practices.
7. Q: How can I maintain present-moment awareness when my life feels chaotic and overwhelming?
A: Chaos is often when presence is most needed and paradoxically most accessible. In overwhelming moments, you can anchor yourself by focusing on just one thing: your breath, your feet on the ground, or the sounds around you. You don’t need to be present to everything at once—just to this one moment, this one sensation, this one breath. Sometimes the most present thing you can do is acknowledge “I feel overwhelmed right now” without trying to fix it immediately. Presence in chaos isn’t about achieving calm; it’s about meeting whatever is arising with awareness rather than reactive resistance.