Self-Awareness and Meditation Course
Lesson Five
Self-awareness during the Day
In lesson four we looked at self-awareness during meditation. Meditation is enhanced, however, when focus is placed on self-awareness during the day as well. Rather than looking at meditation as something that is done for half an hour or an hour a day the real goal is to reach a point where the whole day is an act of meditation. This takes a lot of practice so be patient with yourself. Years of conditioning and habit formation do not disappear over night.
Meditation during the day is essentially bringing one's consciousness to the now. Being aware of the self in the present moment is being aware of who one really is. It is all too easy to be living in the past or future, thinking about what is happening later in the day or what happened in the morning, so that most of the time one is not actually present to what is happening now. Even when you think you are in the now, the chances are that in reality it is still not genuinely now. What is perceived now is coloured by education, enculturation, conditioning, etc, so in reality it is the now as perceived through the past! For example you are reading this lesson on Self-awareness. The reason you can read it is because at sometime in the past you were taught to read. It has meaning for you because you have learnt how to receive ideas communicated in the written form, and you understand it based on your previous life experiences. Imagine what this would like like to you if absolutely nothing from the past was to influence what you see and understand in the present moment!
Not only do we need to bring our awareness to the present moment in time but also the present moment in place. If we are sort of in the now we may still be somewhere else in space. Our minds may be on that holiday destination, or what the relatives are doing on the other side of the country, or what is happening in the office at the moment.
So what can we do to change this?
First of all we can begin to change this by being aware of it. As with anything, by bringing the light of consciousness onto a problem change can begin to come about.
Secondly, try to be a 'witness' to what you are doing and what is happening around you. Observe, listen, feel, taste and smell what is happening now. When you are washing your hands, participate in it fully. Don't plan what you will be saying to your boss at work in one hour's time. When you are eating, enjoy the moment, savour the food and be aware that you are savouring the food. There is a huge key in that last sentence. Not only do you do what you are doing in the present moment, but you also subtly step aside to watch your self doing what you are doing.
As you go about the day, as often as possible, observe how you respond to people, events, situations, and so on. Are your thoughts positive or negative? Do you see the worst in people or the best in people. Who are you comfortable with and who are you not so comfortable with? Why is this so? As you do this you will gradually build up a picture of yourself as a person. There is no place for criticism or guilt. There is a reason why you are the way you are and better still there is things you can do to make changes.
For now, though, it is time to just watch, observe and get a picture of yourself, as you are, now. As you progress with meditation the you that you are now will become the NOW that is you.
Copyright © Charles Attfield, 2006