Mindfulness and Developing Self Awareness……..And Then What
If you’re reading this blog the chances are that you have already been introduced to some form of self awareness practice. You have probably been introduced to mindfulness, of the concept of being more fully aware in the present moment and you might have tried some of the various practices that are commonly offered by way of introduction to being more present and aware.
And now that you have been introduced to mindfulness, what’s next?
What’s the point?
For a moment let’s just go back to when you were introduced to being more present in the now. Did you notice what your thoughts were about it? Can you remember how you felt at the time?
For some people they just don’t get it. For some people they get something but don’t know what. For others it is the start of a very different life unfolding.
Some of us are lucky enough for it to interrupt the unconscious treadmill existence we have become part of and to suggest to us that there is a different way to live.
If, when practicing you felt a wave of peace, that for however brief a moment it was you in some way felt a deep feeling of peace that felt like coming home, then you will want more of it. You will want to have that feeling again. And you will on some level start to question the everyday craziness that many believe is the only way to live.
But how do you even start to live differently?
For many there is an initial wave of enthusiasm to be more present and to develop a new way of living…..and then life seemingly kicks back in and we slip back into the unconscious habits and choices of old. Periodically we get a reminder that re ignites our enthusiasm, and then we drift back into unconsciousness again, justifying it with all the seemingly perfectly real reasons why we just haven’t got time for this right now and how there is just too much on in life that demands our time, energy and focus. And for many that is where their journey ends….they conclude that all this stuff is nice in theory but not for them because ‘it’s just not practical to live like that.’
For some though, it’s too late to go back to being fully unconscious because that spark within has on some level been lit and the calling to live more consciously in the present moment is never that far away.
The question you ask yourself then becomes a more earnest one of ‘how do I live it?’
And this is where I come in to help you to navigate your way through it all…
I will be offering as much help as possible as to how people can live more consciously, be more present, and create a community where we can all share our experiences and encourage each other on what can at times be a tough journey.
For those of you that have been practicing any form of self awareness or present moment living you may well relate to some of these phases that we often go through.
As you start to become more present and aware you will notice anything that is not in alignment in yourself and in your life. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions seemingly become magnified and you won’t always like what you observe. At this point it might consciously or unconsciously scare the hell out of you and you will intentionally ignore any hint of self awareness and try as best as you can to carry on life ignoring what came into your awareness, and you will blame any discomfort that arises in your life on someone or something outside of yourself. For now.
Or, you will be open to observing what arises in the stillness of being fully present and self aware and then the next phase of the journey kicks in.
You will feel alive for the first time in a long time, or ever, and you will feel self empowered, energised, and ready to change anything in your life that you observe as being out of alignment with who you are. This period can last for anything from a few seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, occasionally years, until the next phase kicks in.
It’s the phase I often refer to as the bipolar phase – it’s the dualistic phase where you sway between moments of bliss and moments of hell. Usually, during this phase you go through various dark nights of the soul, which can appear as anything from a passing moment of intense self doubt through to a complete breakdown of you, your life, and all that you thought you knew. This is all part of the process and whilst it isn’t for the faint hearted, neither is it something that is talked about in the ‘selling’ of mindfulness, it is a necessary part of the journey that can lead you through the other side to far greater peace.
At some point in all of this you may or may not reach a point where you suddenly recognise that you as the observer exist beyond the human you. This is the game changer.
One thing is for certain and that is that there is no such thing as a free ride with all of this – you will have to do the inner work if you want life to change. You will have to become a creator in acting upon the inner awareness that surfaces if you wish for more peace and authenticity. It won’t always be pretty but it will be necessary if you really do want to live more consciously. If you are anything like me though you will know that there is no other way because you know deep down that anything else is selling yourself short and if you are like me you really don’t want to do that because you know you are living a lie if you do.
Unless you are one of the very few (Eckhart Tolle being one) whose awakening happened in an instant then your journey to true self awareness is likely a colourful one to say the least and is filled with many twists and turns, challenges and delights. You will have times when your physical body is going haywire and times when you think you are totally losing your mind (and in a good way you are). You have times when you feel lost, scared and in between worlds, and times when you feel such peace and joy that your greatest fears are non existent. You are fully present and all over the place all at the same time.
And then there is time, and your relationship to it – well that all changes too.
So, if you are on this journey and you want more info, more encouragement, and a place to share all of this with others then stay connected to my monthly newsletters for updates on all that is coming and out there for you to connect to.
In the mean time wishing you all much love and the courage to be more present and self aware.
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