Wake up to a fuller existence
Conscious living is a value. It cannot be measured against someone else’s beliefs and way of life. It’s a state of being that cannot be turned on or off. It’s the underlying foundational value that you filter your choices, by determining the impact on yourself versus another person, situation or environment. It’s about creating the life that you want instead of settling with discontentment. If you are drifting through life and don’t quite know how you got here, living consciously may just be the key to a more fulfilling life.
Like a pebble being cast into a serene lake, the ripple effects from its epicentre to the edges are felt and experienced by all that it comes in contact with. Once you start to awaken this process in you it is hard to turn your back on it. You have the niggling thought persist in knowing that you can act better. I remember one time hiking and felt the urge to pick up all the rubbish in my path. Casted drink bottles, chewing gum wrappers and motioning the people behind me that there is an obstacle to be aware of.
The other side can be the feeling of frustration when you see people wrong doing others and their environment. But this does come down to your own values and ethical code. If we choose to study the whole of yoga (or any spiritual virtues you follow) the first two steps of the eightfold path are the yamas (ethical code) and niyamas (personal observances). These ethical and spiritual observances help us develop the more profound qualities of our humanity.
Firstly I will list the sub categories against the code so you can apply your own experiences to the questions below. Keep in mind this is just a guide and you may have other observances to reflect on.
YAMAS include Ahisma (non violence to yourself and others), Satya (truthfulness, Asteya (absitence and honesty), Brahmacharya (being established in divine consciousness) and Aparigraha (non possession and non-attachment).
NIYAMAS include Sauca (cleanliness), Santosa (contentment), tapas (self discipline), Swadhaya (self study) and Ishwana Pradidhara (to surrender to your higher source).
Are you living unconsciously now?
What feelings arise for you when you read the following questions? Its worth creating your own list of values and checking them against these questions and use your honesty.
1. Are you satisfied in your work or have you outgrown your role? What does your ideal job look and feel like?
2. Are you doing things that are expected of you with little satisfaction and how many activities do you do that you love to do?
3. Are you satisfied with your core relationships and friendships?
4. Do you find yourself overweight because you’ve been eating the food you’ve been eating for years and stuck in a rut of not exercising?
5. Do you have a healthy mindset with money and possessions? Do you overspend only to kick yourself later and do you have too many possessions and are able to part with them?
If you answered “NO” to all of these questions, then I’d love to meet you and learn from you! If you answered YES, and you feel your mind is littered with thoughts and actions that no longer serve you and the world as a whole, then read on.
How to Live Life More Consciously
1. Reflection and downtime. Whether you keep a journal, meditate, take a walk in silence, make reflecting on your day part of your routine. Write down “Today I am grateful for….”. When feelings do arise, try to feel them fully as opposed to deflecting with food, drinks and mind chatter. This enables for more space to be created within you and to feel yourself fully. It is in silence that the messages are heard.
2. Pulse check your happiness, your goals, your attributes, your aspirations. You change regularly and outgrow certain situations. But your skills, the core and essence of who you are is your truth. Check in and ask if parts of your life require attention to be on the same frequency as your truth. When we are in the flow of life we are at ease with ourselves and the relationship with all that there is.
3. Review your relationships. This can be a hard one to explore. If you are in a committed relationship and feel unhappy, it doesn’t mean ending or starting a fight can get an outcome. Relationships with others is such a fine delicate mirror that reflects the relationship within ourselves. It may mean your partner triggers something in you often enough that is calling for your attention. Ask yourself if you appreciate your relationships and if there are tokens and gestures to share that will bring you both joy. Is forgiveness an easy road you take?
4. Consider your impact on the world. What you do, what you consume, and how you live, impact the environment? How does it impact the poor, the powerless, the voiceless? Does it impact your community? Your life has an impact, whether you think about it or not. Being conscious of how your decisions affect others is important. Are you playing small in the world or are you feeling that your interactions are having a positive impact?
5. Money and possessions. Living consciously does not mean we give everything up. There is a reason why we are designed on what we do – so it can be available in abundance and equally for all people.
6. DO you have a balance outlook and healthy mindset with money and your possessions?
7. Do you accept your losses gracefully? Do you become upset and angry that something has been taken from you? This is where the value of non-attachment becomes a challenging one for many of us.
8. Explore yourself. Try a different activity at least once a year. Go to a different dance class. Explore the community and what is on offer. Being introduced to different cultures and way of being is important in opening up our vision and dissolving some of our filters that may be limiting our views on unity and humanity as a whole.
Together we are making a difference x
Pic source ~ Renata Ratajczylc
