Inner Conditioning Ourselves: Presence as a Spiritual Gym

No one walks into a gym and expects to be fit by Friday. We understand, almost instinctively, that the body is shaped by repetition — small efforts, repeated daily, that quietly become a foundation we can stand on. The soul works the same way. We just rarely give it the same patience.

In Chapter 5 of Choosing Presence, Jim Heaney calls this inner conditioning. “Whether it’s a sports, music, art, or professional skill,” he writes, “it takes practice to get good at something. Practicing presence is no different.” The point is not to feel transcendent each morning — it’s repetition. We train ourselves to recognize when we are at peace and when we are not, and to know the way back. Jim describes it as building our foundation on rock: not a feeling we chase, but a steadiness we condition.

When we sit consistently — even briefly — something shifts. The body learns to alert us when we are slipping out of presence, and the mind grows quicker to catch negative thoughts before they harden into reactions. We begin to live with what Jim calls contrast and choice: a clear knowing of the difference between presence and unconsciousness, and the freedom to choose one over the other.

For the next two weeks, recommit to a daily 20-minute practice of presence each morning. Same time. Same place. Same intention. Not for what you’ll feel in any single sit — but for the spiritual foundation you are slowly conditioning underneath it all.

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Brian Mueller – Poet, Community Organizer, and Spiritual Guide

Brian Mueller is a poet and community organizer based in Dayton, Ohio. He serves as Director of Education & Engagement for ChoosingPresence.org and is an active member of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman, where he co-leads writing retreats that support men’s spiritual journeys. As a writer, Brian is known for his candid, accessible poetry, with works including Cock‑A‑Doodle‑Doo: 100 Morning Haiku, the Poem of the Day series, and the Bull Series. Inspired by poets like Rumi and Mary Oliver, he believes everyone carries the voice of a poet within.