HJ: The practice of self-awareness is the key to lasting, authentic happiness and peace. Self-awareness is also the method by which consciousness is liberated so that it may expand, grow and ultimately reach an enlightened state. Exploration of the self is the essence of the spiritual journey and holds all the answers we seek. It is the key to full manifestation and the realization of your soul purpose, for indeed, it will eventually lead you to embrace your intuition — your connection to the infinite divine wisdom and guidance that will never lead you astray. In time, it will reveal to the true seeker everything it is they need for complete fulfillment in this lifetime.
But what is this mystical self-awareness? Eliza Mada Dalian answers this question below and also provides 5 powerful tools to begin the process of self-inquiry. I can say with complete certainty that the consistent practice of self-awareness is the most liberating thing one can do in the development of their consciousness.
If you are interested in learning more about self-awareness, I recommend the highly profound book Freedom by Osho and also The Nature of Personal Reality by Jane Roberts/Seth
– Truth
Five Ways to Develop Self-Awareness
by Eliza Mada Dalian | Mada Dalian
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Excerpt from: In Search of the Miraculous: Healing into Consciousness
Observation with self-awareness is the key to breaking through the veil of illusion created by the mind and dis-identifying from it. Usually, we don’t have much difficulty observing what is outside of ourselves, and occasionally may observe what is inside, but we rarely observe the one who is observing. Observation with self-awareness helps us see what’s inside and outside at the same time and remain a witness to both.
To see the world with self-awareness means to stand apart from whatever you are observing instead of being identified with it. Observation with self-awareness helps you feel safe enough to venture into the darkness of your unconscious (personal, collective, and cosmic) and dis-identify from it.
If you observe everything in the outside world and at the same time remain aware of yourself as the observer, you can never be lost in any situation. With self-aware observation, you simply look at everything that comes and goes without judging, blaming, or identifying with anything. The self-aware observer has no bias towards what is “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong” – he simply observes all judgments as passing aspects of thought.
Cultivating the ability to observe with self-awareness takes time and effort, but if you persevere in looking at everything with self-awareness, your consciousness of the world and yourself will gradually increase.
You can practice strengthening your ability to observe with self-awareness using the following five exercises:
Look at the World with Self-Awareness
Look inside yourself while at the same time observing what is happening outside. If you are looking at the sky, look at yourself looking at the sky at the same time. If you are watching a movie, look at yourself watching the movie. If you are talking to someone, observe yourself talking to that person at the same time. Or, look inside yourself this very moment while you are reading. As you look in and out at the same time, observe your thoughts, feelings, reactions, and responses. You can practice looking with self-awareness at any time and in any place.
Watch Your Breath
Breath is always the key to experiencing and strengthening your witnessing awareness. No matter how far you have traveled on your healing journey, you will always need to watch your breath. Breath awareness is the simplest way to break through all the veils of illusion.
Practice watching your breath by simply watching how your breath comes in through the nostrils, goes down into the belly, and then goes out again through the nostrils. Focus your attention on your belly while you are watching your breath come in and out of your nostrils. Dedicate at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day to this practice. Just sit silently and watch your breath. You can also practice breath awareness any time during the day as you go about your daily activities: taking a shower, watching TV, talking on the phone, cleaning, etc. Remember that breath is life, and breath awareness is the thread moving through all the other practices.
Watch Your Body
Begin watching your body while you continue to watch your breath. Watch the physical sensations inside your body, such as tension, pain, heaviness, energy movements, and blockages. Watch how your hands, feet, and head move. Observe the different expressions of your face. Notice how your expressions and body movements change when your moods change. Watch your body from inside when you sit, walk, lie down, exercise, run, or whatever physical activity you are engaged in. Observe what makes your body tense and what helps it to relax.
You can watch your body anywhere and at any time. Watching your body will help you become more aware of its needs and know how to take care of it. Over time, your identification with the body will lessen, and your ability to observe with self-awareness will increase.
Watch Your Emotions
Once you have gained enough awareness of your body and your breath, focus on watching your emotions. Observe how your emotions change, appearing and disappearing like waves in the ocean. As you continue to observe your emotions, you will gradually begin to see how they change from self-confidence to self-doubt, from unhappiness to happiness, from anger to love, from fear to courage. With disciplined practice, your identification with your emotions will lessen and you will start to experience the peaceful empty spaces that exist between waves of changing emotions.
Watching the emotions will be easier if you continue watching your breath at the same time. Notice how your breathing changes with different emotions and how, when there is no emotion, your breath becomes soft and natural.
Watch Your Thoughts
Watching thoughts is more challenging than watching the body or emotions because thoughts are subtler, they move faster, and are harder to see. Thoughts are like dust particles that easily get into everything and hide in corners and underneath things. To be able to see your thoughts, you have to practice watching them with patience and diligence.
Allocate at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day when you can sit quietly and watch each thought as it comes and goes. Don’t judge any of the thoughts as good or bad. If a judgment arises, simply observe the judgment as just another thought. You can also watch your thoughts by writing them down as they come to your mind and observing yourself writing. Pay attention to how thoughts take you out of the present moment and into the past or future. Notice how even though they continually change, the same thoughts keep reappearing over again. Don’t worry about this repetition – just continue watching or writing down each thought as it comes and goes.
As you become adept at watching with self-awareness, you will begin to notice that when a certain thought arises, it immediately activates its associated emotion. One moment you may feel sad because of a certain thought, but the next moment, when that thought changes, your sadness turns into anger or happiness. With observation, you will notice that the reverse is also true: when emotion changes, the associated thought also changes. With time, as your witnessing awareness grows stronger, you will be able to see your thoughts and emotions as they arise, and they will drop away before you get identified with them.
Practice with these exercises regularly and see the quality of your life and your inner state of well-being change exponentially!
Eliza Mada Dalian, affectionately known as Mada, is a self-realized mystic, internationally acclaimed master healer, and spiritual teacher. Having awakened at age 33, Mada devised an advanced healing system known as the Dalian Methodwhich quickly erases the causes of pain and ailments from the body’s cellular memory and permanently transforms what’s unconscious in the person’s energy into consciousness. She is the best-selling author of the multi award-winning book In Search of the Miraculous: Healing into Consciousness. Mada travels internationally offering private sessions, as well as, seminars and retreats with active meditations and the Self-Healing Dalian Method. www.MadaDalian.com
