FAQs

  • The Present Moment Game is a social meditation that brings small groups together—online and in-person—to practice presence.

  • Much of our time with others is spent referencing the past or referring to the future. In fact, it's rare to actually be fully present with someone—even when we're right there with them.

    The game offers a different kind of encounter.

    For an hour, we experiment with letting go of our stories and projections, loosening our grip on time, and exploring what it's like to be with other people in the actual, living moment.

    You might wonder: what is there to even talk about in the present moment? Quite a lot, it turns out. The feelings arising within you. The thoughts passing by. The sensations moving through your body. The simple, yet extraordinary, experience of being alive.

  • The subject of Authentic Relating practices is relationality between participants, often using a present-moment context. This game, however, focuses on the present moment itself as both the subject and context of our inquiry.

    For example, rather than asking yourself 'What do I think or feel about the other people in the room with me?' the game invites a question more like: 'What am I experiencing right now?'

    Paradoxically, that often leads to a real sense of connection in the group. Not because we're analyzing one another more deeply, but because we're choosing to inhabit the same moment together more fully.

  • No. The game isn't therapy, coaching, group processing, or any other kind of healing modality. 

    When we sit together, nothing needs to be fixed, solved, or explained. We simply notice what is happening and speak from direct experience.

    The aim isn't to get anywhere. Just to stay right here.

  • The game operates on a single rule: Speak in the present tense about the present moment.

    That’s all you need to know. Before we begin, we'll share a few guidelines to keep in mind as you play and leave plenty of time for any questions you might have.

  • No two games are the same. Truly. Each new group of people entering the container of the game yields an entirely different experience.

    A single session can be playful, thoughtful, quiet, curious, awkward, moving, funny, deep, weird, silly, challenging, heartfelt, connective, confronting, philosophical, or even unexpectedly profound. And, often, it moves through many of these different textures all within the span of a single hour.

  • Most of us spend more time remembering the past, imagining the future, and thinking about life than directly experiencing it. For this reason, when we’re asked to really be in the moment—and to stay there for an extended period of time—it can pose a significant challenge.

    Common places we drift include:

    • Remembering - revisiting what has already happened.

    • Forecasting - projecting into imagined futures.

    • Performing - attending to appearance over experience.

    • Optimizing - relating to the moment as something that needs improvement.

    • Analyzing - interpreting experience rather than inhabiting it.

    • Escaping - avoiding discomfort altogether by zoning out.

    When you notice you've drifted in one of the above ways, or others, all you have to do is return to what can be observed right now: thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and perceptions of the environment that the whole group can share.

  • Then that’s what’s happening!

    The game doesn’t require you to feel peaceful, connected, interested, or even particularly happy to be there. Whatever is actually happening is enough to work with.

    Hungry? Get curious about what hunger even is. Bored? Notice what boredom actually feels like, and how quickly you reach for something to relieve it. Wish you were somewhere else? Notice the mind reaching for elsewhere, and then see what happens when you acknowledge that, but then come back to where you actually are.

    You don’t have to turn any of it into a better experience. The invitation is simply to stay curious about the experience you’re already having, and go deeper into it. You might be surprised by what becomes available when you do.

  • Your way of being is perfectly fine—and you’ll be invited (but not forced!) to speak a little more than usual. So many of the best parts of the game happen through your own speaking, so participants are encouraged to talk in order to take full advantage of what the experience has to offer. Please do your best to find a workable space just a pinch or two beyond your normal comfort zone.

  • The game is meant to be a regular practice, because as the structure of it becomes more familiar, more of your attention frees up for the experience itself, rather than for figuring out how to play.

    And because every group is different, every game becomes its own experience, distinct from any you've played before.

    Come once, or come often. Either way, there's always something new to discover.

  • Please plan to set aside up to two hours for participating in The Present Moment Game.

    Most sessions last between 90-120 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

    A typical game includes:

    • 15–30 minutes for introductions and to learn how to play the game

    • 60 minutes for the game itself

    • 15–30 minutes for reflection and closing

    Smaller groups tend to finish sooner, while larger groups often take the full two hours.

  • Games are held in small groups so that everyone has plenty of time to speak. The smallest group possible is 3, and the largest is 12. You can typically expect 4–8 others in an average game.

  • Because the game depends on a shared container of attention, we begin right on time and can't accommodate late arrivals.

    In person games:

    • Doors open 30 minutes early, so please arrive at least 5-10 minutes before our start time.

    • We extend a 5-minute grace period to account for minor unforeseen delays, after which tickets are forfeited and non-refundable.

    Online

    • Video room opens 5 minutes early, so please arrive early.

    • We extend a 2-minute grace period to account for minor unforeseen delays, after which tickets are forfeited and non-refundable.

    We know events often begin a little later than scheduled, but this is not that kind of event. Thank you very much for your early arrival and understanding!

  • Click here to reach out with any other questions you might have. We’ll try to respond within 48 hours.