Blog post from one of my episodes: Being in the Moment
When was the last time you truly embraced the present moment with your partner or yourself? Join host Elle Q as she explores the art of being fully present in the moment through the seductive practices of tantra.
(Transcribed from podcast episode. (You can listen to this episode here)
Welcome to Midnight Confessions. I’m your host, Elle Q
Today’s episode is about something simple, yet deeply powerful… being present.
Being in the moment with yourself or with your partner.
When was the last time you were truly present? Not distracted. Not thinking about what’s next. Not replaying the past. Just fully there, in the moment.
Maybe sitting across from your partner on the sofa, on the bed, or even on the floor… just being with each other.
We live in a world where our minds are constantly moving. We think about work, life, family, money, responsibilities. Our thoughts wander, we overthink, we get pulled in every direction. And in doing that, we forget how to simply be.
Being present means being in the now.
We hear it all the time in meditation, in yoga, in healing practices… “be present.” But what does that actually feel like?
Tantra teaches presence in a very real, embodied way.
It invites you to focus on your breath. To notice how you breathe. To notice how your partner breathes. Is it fast? Slow? Through the nose or the mouth? How does the breath move through the body?
Right now, if you’re with your partner, or even thinking of them, take a moment.
Just look at them.
They don’t even have to know what you’re doing. Or, if you’d like, you can invite them into this practice with you.
But simply look.
From the tips of their toes to the top of their head. Notice their hands, their fingers, how they sit, how they move, how they exist in that moment.
Allow yourself to fully take them in.
And as you do, notice what happens within you.
What do you feel?
Does your breath change? Does it slow down, or speed up? Does your mind wander, thinking about something else?
If it does, gently bring yourself back. Let the breath wash those thoughts away… and look again.
You can do the same with yourself.
Take a moment to observe your own body. Appreciate everything about yourself. The details, the uniqueness, the small things you may have never noticed before.
Maybe it’s a scar. Maybe it’s the way someone smiles, how they hold a pen, how they move their hands when they speak. Even how they express emotions, joy, frustration, sadness.
This is presence.
This is Tantra.
In my own practice, I bring this into everything I do. Whether a client is sitting with me, lying on the table, or simply speaking, I am present with them.
I observe. I listen. I feel.
I notice how they respond to my words, to my touch, to the space around them. And I gently guide them back into their body, back into the moment.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as saying, “Breathe.”
Don’t worry about the past. Don’t worry about the outcome. Just be here.
Just be now.
I might take their hand and guide it to their heart. Just to help them reconnect. Just to remind them where they are.
Because being present takes practice.
Our minds are used to wandering, to worrying, to overthinking. And when that happens, it’s okay.
Simply pause. Close your eyes, or look away for a moment. Reset. Then come back.
Come back to the now.
We rush through everything in life. But we don’t have to rush ourselves. We don’t have to rush our connection, our presence, or our experiences.
So I invite you to practice this.
Actually… I dare you.
From now until the next episode, take time to simply be present with your partner, your lovers, or even with yourself.
It doesn’t have to be sensual or sexual. It can be as simple as holding hands, sitting together, or observing each other in a quiet moment.
Maybe you’re on a car ride. Notice how they drive. What music is playing. The way the light moves through the window.
Be there.
Because when you practice presence in these small moments, it begins to expand into every part of your life.
You’ll notice more. Feel more. Hear more.
You’ll connect more deeply.
Not just with others… but with yourself.
So I dare you.
Don’t overthink. Don’t live in the past. Don’t rush into the future.
Be here.
Be now.
XOXO, Elle Q