For Individuals

Mindfulness:
Engaged Presence practice embraces a broad and deep definition of mindfulness practice:
• Have a plan for Equanimous response to present moment events.
• Practice remembering the plan while socially engaged.
• Practice equanimous response to present moment events in diverse social circumstances.

Psychological resilience:
Engaged Presence practice taxes one’s ability to attend and participate in continuous full-spectrum interactions.

Subjective progressive fatigue indicates the existence of limited internal resources.

Repeated Engaged Presence practice both raises one’s tolerance to activity induced fatigue and sensitizes one to the warning signs of cognitive overload.

Practicing graceful disengagement while suffering fatigue increases one ability to take positive self-care steps under stressful situations.

For Vipassana Meditators

Engaged Presence practice helps us observe/experience impermanence, dissatisfaction and no-self in a social context. We operate with a tight (but evolving) set of rules which create right view, right thought, right action, right speech boundaries within which we can improvise our behavior. In this way, Engaged Presence practice occupies a gap between cushion and 'real' life.

For Improvisers

The Engaged Presence method pursues growth like a weight training session: the more 'reps' the better! The EP practice format is tuned for almost constant and lengthy action. In a typical practice session, you will observe a perception/response interaction every second or two and you will certainly be one of the participants every 5 or 10 seconds. Typical classes run for one to three hours.

Improv class formats typically necessitate that you sit in the audience at least 50% of the time. 'Stage time' includes notes and discussion.

Improv classes are the right place for learning about and practicing the diverse and intricate skills an improviser needs for successful improvisational acting.

Engaged Presence classes are best for strengthening the foundational abilities of deep perception, emotional connection with yourself and others, expressive and helpful response and finding playful energy in diverse situations.

For sales persons

Successful sales interactions hinge on your ability to maximize connection with your client, connect her/his needs to what you have to offer and then authentically express your response.

Perceiving what *just* happened, connecting the event to the rules of the moment, then responding promptly, helpfully and authentically is what Engaged Presencetm practice sessions have you exercise, hundreds of times per hour. It's like a sales training gymnasium.

For Human Resource Departments

Interpersonal communication assessment and improvement:

As an assessment tool, the sparseness of the Engaged Presence framework leaves our interpersonal baggage and apprehensions no place to hide.

As a training tool, social nature of the workout is so much like real life, the behaviour/experiential growth easily transfers to real-life social situations.

For Creative Teams

Engaged Presence practice strengthens, above all, the skill of listening with ever increasing broadness and depth to what's coming from the people around us, and what's coming from within ourselves. To the degree that creativity depends on integrating what's happening around us with what's happening within ourselves, Engaged Presence practice increases our creative capacity.

For Parents

Engaged Presence practice deepens our skills at deep connection and finding playful energy in diverse situations; ideal for creating a loving connection and rich interactions with children of *any* age.

For example, here is an extended playful interaction between mother and her 13 month old child:Youtube clip

Another parent/child (28 months old) playful interaction that spans wordgames, counting practice, one-one correspondence practice, music/rhythm, story telling: youtube clip

You can't plan and initiate a games like these, you have to be sensitive and respond to the smallest signals from your child, and then build the activity organically. Sensitivity and playful response is exactly what we practice in Engaged Presencetm practice.

For Quality of Life

It's common, if not natural, for our thoughts to be else-where and else-when, worrying about things that have already happened or might happen in the future. This chronic pre-occupation with the non-present may not be helpful and often does not feel good.

There is an option, to simply direct your physical, emotional and mental focus to present moment events.

Recent peer reviewed scientific studies suggest that by simple practice, we can lower the effort required to shift from unhelpful preoccupation with the 'not-here' towards present moment events.

The subjective experience of shifting toward Engaged Presence is one of removing an impossible burden, and joining the light flow of being present.