Our world has become a frenzied, impatient place. Many events in the world have led us to question whether we’ve lost the core of our humanity.
Yet, relying on external influences to give us purpose often leaves us unfulfilled — even provoking feelings of outrage at the greed and injustice now so prevalent around us. We sense that we must turn within to reconnect with life beyond the surface and rediscover the oneness at the heart of humankind.
But as we turn inward to look for the sacred truths of life, we must first strip ourselves bare of that which doesn’t nurture our authentic selves. We must quiet our cluttered minds, transcend limited thoughts and beliefs, and step into the present moment to find the divineness within.
A Mindfulness practice is a universal way to rein in our busy minds and train them to be more present. It’s an inherent ability all of us have that helps us to be conscious and aware. With Mindfulness, we can go inward to raise our level of consciousness and find our own divineness — and that of all humanity.
Stilling our minds to stay present in the moment helps us find union in reality, free of illusion. Mindfulness serves as our guiding escort to exploring life beyond the surface. It reveals how we’re part of the collective, the universe, the cosmos, the oneness and the supreme consciousness that breathes life into us all.
Unless we go inward to become present and aware, we stand a greater chance of remaining unconscious, which poses a serious threat to our humanity. History has shown us that when people are unconscious, or unaware of dysfunction and looming darkness, they can easily be taken over by powers greater than them — with catastrophic consequences.
Use these Mindfulness tips to help you live more consciously and aware:
1. Connect with present moment awareness. Staying present with an open, uncluttered mind isn’t easy to do. Yet, when practiced consistently, Mindfulness sharpens our awareness. The more present we are, the more aware we are, and the more aware we are, the more present we are. The ability to practice Mindfulness builds on itself and sharpens our awareness so that we can bring clarity to what we previously experienced only on the surface.
2. Rise above ego-driven beliefs. It’s time to stop allowing our “small selves” to run the show. We need to recognize the drama we often create and rise above our petty selves. Staying present enables us to refrain from trying to manipulate the world to feed the ego. When we aspire to heighten our awareness, we raise our consciousness and continue on the path of spiritual development by lifting the veils of falseness one by one.
3. Explore ways to apply Mindfulness to everyday life. It’s possible to practice Mindfulness in most areas of our lives. It can be eating slowly and really tasting our food without rushing, or taking a leisurely walk and paying close attention to the sights and sounds of nature around us. By training our minds to be more present, we find ourselves much more appreciative of the moments of our lives and feel less inclined to rush through them.
4. Make time to care for the spirit. In times when we feel a sense of emptiness, or apathy, recognize that it’s our spirit telling us that we’re neglecting the divineness within. If instead of going deeper within to find what’s troubling our spirit, we choose a distraction or way to anesthetize ourselves, we aren’t tending to our spirit. Caring for our spirit can take the form of practicing yoga, sitting in contemplation, moving to music, gardening, playing with a pet, making love, painting, cooking, taking a walk in nature or serving someone in need. We will help forge our connection to the divine within by finding ways to let the spirit soar.
5. Delve into the sense of oneness. With Mindfulness, we have an ever-present guiding escort for exploring life beyond the surface. We become aware that we’re part of the collective, the universe, the cosmos, the oneness and the supreme consciousness that breathes life into us all. If we keep our minds open and our thoughts quiet, we can awaken to the divineness within us and around us.