When alone, I'm empty of idle thoughts for periods of time when focused on a project which may be a physical activity or reading or writing and during brief times of reflection and meditation. There are times when interacting with others that I become empty of idle thoughts. During such times, I am very much in the present, focused on what the other is saying, attentive to what I am experiencing, and responding to the other out of what I am experiencing in the moment. What helps me deepen in such presence is the aliveness, intimacy, satisfaction, and value of such engagement, and practice in such engagement. Emptying of idle thoughts and deepening in full presence occur with practice.
On Jul 18, 2020 David Doane wrote :