🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

🌿The relief of being here

Our bodies live in the present, but our minds are accomplished time travellers. We revisit conversations that have already happened, rehearse situations that may never occur and try to solve tomorrow before it arrives.

Explore the relief that can come when we step out of this mental movement and return to what is physically here. Not by forcing the mind to become quiet, but by allowing the body, the breath and the immediate world to come forward.

“My experience is what I agree to attend to.” — William James
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Dear Reader

It is easy to get caught in time and space, reliving or ruminating on the past, or fast-forwarding into the future through worry and fantasy. When this happens, we can find ourselves feeling overly anxious on the one hand, or disconnected and dissociated on the other. None of this is wrong. It happens to all of us.

The invitation of mindfulness and meditation is to be relieved of this as a compulsion, a default setting for our consciousness.

Rather than being continually pulled into the past or projecting ourselves into the future, we come to rest in this moment, just as it is and just as we are. In doing so, we often discover a sense of relief, ease and relaxation that can be deeply inviting.

Many people who experience meditation for the first time or who engage in deeper practice through attending a retreat, are amazed by how good it can feel to let go, let be and simply rest in the present moment. Eckhart Tolle wrote a bestselling book about it, The Power of Now, and many wisdom traditions affirm this experience as well.

It is not something we need to achieve, strive for, hold onto or make happen. It is something that reveals itself when we get out of the way.

What do we mean by getting out of the way? It means becoming less exclusively orientated towards the thinking mind and allowing something else to become the reference point for our attention. This is highly practical. The simplest way to focus on something other than the mind is to deliberately place our attention somewhere else.

This is why standard mindfulness and meditation practices invite us to focus on a meditation object. Very often this is something physical or body-based such as scanning the body, feeling our feet on the ground, or noticing the rib cage or abdomen rising and falling as we breathe.

In doing this, we shift our attention away from being completely absorbed in thought and towards something somatic, grounded and occurring right now, rather than in the past or the future.

There can be considerable resistance to this process at first. Sitting without distraction and simply feeling sensations in the body can be uncomfortable or even excruciating. It can also feel boring.

But if we stay with the practice, something else begins to emerge. The clouds start to part. The mind recedes into the background while the physical sensations of the present moment come into the foreground. As this happens, we often experience a sense of surrender, relaxation and relief.

Why?

Because for a moment, we are no longer caught in the minor or major agitation that usually stands between us and the present. We are no longer resisting the moment by continually reviewing the past or jumping ahead into the future.

We begin to realise that, right here and right now, there may be no immediate problem to solve, get right or escape from.
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There can instead be a felt sense of coming home to ourselves, of finding ourselves in the place where we already belong.

🕊️ GROUNDED. OPEN. FREE. Half-day online meditation retreat. Sunday, 9 August
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You were born whole and worthy of love...

Experience a precious opportunity to relax into the perfect naturalness of your own being.

Whether you have never meditated before, are a beginner or an experienced meditator, this retreat offers you everything you need to experience the benefits of a silent meditation retreat—from the comfort of your own home.

The retreat will comprise guided meditations, walking meditation, meditation teachings and an opportunity for questions and answers.

Beyond joining the call, this retreat is distraction-free and largely silent—notifications off, one tab open, nowhere else to be.
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There will be opportunities for questions, answers and group discussion.

• Set up a chair, cushion or mat in a quiet corner of your home to sit on.
• No one will be forced to speak, switch on their camera, or introduce themselves.
• This retreat is nonreligious and emphasises your own inherent capacity for depth, wisdom and spirituality.

"I enjoyed the quiet, not having to introduce ourselves, just being spacious. It was a restful morning and I felt rejuvenated afterwards." — Erica Marshall

Teacher: Karl Baker
​Location: Online (live option only—not recorded)
​Date: Sunday, 9 August. (1.00pm–4.00pm AEST)
​Price: $49
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💗 Awakening to Self-Love
6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, ​Healesville ​Victoria. ​3–8 October, 2026​
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This retreat is over 50% booked.

The essence of your self-love is woven into the fabric of the universe.

It is integral to you. It just requires the right environment to emerge.

The Awakening to Self-Love, Silent Meditation Retreat provides that environment.

“It was like a balm for the soul.” — Carmel Brock

“I loved the silence, the meditative rhythm of the day and the beautiful food. A perfect environment to go deeply within and touch the universal energy of love while doing important inner work.” — Dr Lisa Shortridge

“I loved the retreat, the silence was great… Stephen and Karl are very down to earth, knowledgeable and surprisingly funny 😊 I found the whole experience very humbling, calming, restful, informative and soul fulfilling.” — Belinda Dubojski

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​Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville
​Dates: Saturday, 3 October – Thursday, 8 October 2026
​Price: $1,950 all inclusive. Book now with a $500 deposit (non-refundable)

💗 The Ease of Being, Luxury Weekend Retreat, Noosa, 11–13 September​ 2026 — SOLD OUT ​

When was the last time you truly stopped, breathed, and let yourself simply be?

This premium three-day meditation retreat offers a rare opportunity to step away from the noise and into a world of effortless relaxation, deep presence and quiet luxury.

“The Ease of Being retreat gave me the gift of a weekend filled with peace and calm – time out in a beautiful, natural setting away from the demands of everyday life.” — Christine Donnelly​
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​Teacher: Karl Baker
​Location: Senses Beach Rd Holiday Homes, Noosa North Shore
​Date: Friday, 11 September – Sunday, 13 September 2026
​Price: From $895 all inclusive: SOLD OUT

​Get one on one, private Mindfulness Coaching​

One on one work with a certified mindfulness teacher can assist with anxiety reduction, improving sleep, reducing over-thinking, improving relationships and making mindfulness a habit in your life.

​Find a certified mindfulness teacher to work with now.

🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Let the Present Come Forward (8 minutes)

Let the Present Come Forward

Duration: 8 minutes

1. Notice your mind (1 minute)​
Notice whether your mind is replaying the past, planning, worrying or imagining. There is no need to stop or judge the thoughts.

2. Feel your support (1 minute)​
Notice your feet on the floor, your body on the chair or your hands resting. Feel the physical support beneath you.

3. Choose one sensation (5 minutes)​
Focus on your breath, feet, hands or the sounds around you. Let this sensation come forward while thoughts remain in the background.

4. Check in (30 seconds)​
Ask yourself:

“Is there anything I need to deal with in this exact moment?”

If not, rest here for one more breath.

Why this exercise helps

Thoughts often pull us into the past or future. Physical sensations give our attention something real and immediate to rest upon. This does not stop thinking, but it can create space around our thoughts and help us feel calmer, more grounded and present.

Mindfulness Reflection Reminder Card

🏢 Workplace Mindfulness Training

Nationwide in-person or online mindfulness training for workplaces.
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– Build team mental and emotional resilience.
– Improve mental fitness.
– Reduce burnout with practical strategies.
– Enhance team communication and connection.

​Get a customised program and free quote.
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🤔 Mindful Check-In. Vote to See Results.

Why noticing this helps

Noticing what helps bring us back matters because, in moments of stress or overthinking, we often need something simple and familiar. Knowing whether breath, movement, sound or physical sensation works best, gives us a practical way to interrupt mental time-travel and return to what is actually happening now.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

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