Invocation of Presence

I like the word invocation. It implies that even when we feel isolated or rattled, floored by an earthquake - be it physical or psychological - there is never a time when we cannot invoke the presence of reality, and find a sense of inner security.

I have a friend I contact on line with the words: "are you there?" Even if he is not there at that particular moment, I know he will eventually e-mail back with the comforting response: "I am now."

With my husband it is simply a matter of pausing in the movement of our daily life together, and saying "Hi Layton." With his "Hello Laura" back at me, we acknowledge each other's presence, reconfirming that we are in this life together.

In yoga the word "namaste" is a hello like that. It means the light in me salutes the light in you. The "namaste" doesn't always have to be visual, the namaste is an invocation of presence, the realizing in an instant that the perceived other is part of self, made of the same life stuff as you are.

The biblical character of Ishmael reminds me how namaste works. He finds himself alone, cast away from his father, and he wanders through the desert in a stupor. But by his very name - Ishmael - he is assured that when he calls to God, there will be an answer.

This calling, this invocation of presence, is a mental act. We can call for presence at any time. No matter how alone or abandoned we may feel we will always get a response, for the simple reason that we are alive.

The important theme here is that we are not alone. Once we accept all of what we see, feel, and experience for who and what it is, we can realize that fundamental truth.

Whenever we sink into despair, not knowing what to do, it is helpful to remain open and innocent to what is happening, and then the essential truth of all that is will flow over and through us. In that sense we are specific and expansive at the same time.

The challenge then is to integrate both aspects of ourselves, and to remember to invoke presence. Someone will always be there - real, alive, part of us.