This handbook in practical spirituality proposes that the level of stress, violence, fear and disconnect from Nature in the global society has risen in direct proportion to a fall in the collective level of conscious awareness. In order to reverse this trend a conscious impulse is required. Human beings need to rediscover the mystical underpinning of all religions and the engine of spiritual transformation: the art of presence. Only by learning to be present and stay present is it possible to dissolve harmful energy - in the form of false opinions and negative feelings - and create positive energy that imbues actions with intelligence, compassion and respect for the sacredness of all life. To this end, a practice in sensory awareness is offered. It is called 'the Pause'. Pausing affirms the body-mind continuum by empowering the senses as conduits of conscious awareness. When pausing is then applied to ordinary activities such as speaking, working, thinking and relating to others, spiritual evolution accelerates. The fruit of a re-awakened life is healing — for ourselves, for society, and for the entire Earth community.
