The “stop in your tracks” technique
I've devoted some space here to ideas for keeping the dialogue going and for simply staying connected to your Friend. See, for example, here and here.
This time I just want to mention a simple technique I sometimes use to stay in touch with the felt presence of my Friend. I call it the “stop in your tracks” technique, though calling it a “technique” may be an exaggeration. It's really just a small, common sense, somewhat brute force response to the challenge of keeping the feelings of connection going. Here's what I do sometimes when I really want to stay with the felt presence:
At any point, if I notice I've lost that connection, I simply stop whatever I'm doing and engage briefly in the second of the two core exercises. When I feel reengaged with the connection I can go on with whatever I was doing.
Maybe I'm walking across the room when it occurs to me I've lost the connection. So I stop walking. Right where I stand, I say something like, “Let me feel your presence” or make any of many possible requests for the felt presence of my Friend. I will then usually feel the tingles or sense of expansion in my head
that tell me I've made the connection. (You may feel something else entirely!) So then I can continue my walk across the room.
Now, it's probably not ideal to rely on this technique all the time. In my experience it does work, but I think there is probably more to be gained from developing an attitude of surrender to the connection and dialogue with your Friend. That way the connection becomes the place to which you naturally gravitate. No brute force necessary.
But when you do need it, just stop in your tracks!
“Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside of you.”
~Rumi