In the midst of lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world, it is time to consider another concept of the journey, but not a one that actually requires us to hop in on an airplane, a different journey. The journey inwards.
Humans have the amazing ability to travel inwards to learn about themselves. The boat that takes us on this journey is the boat of consciousness or awareness. Once sharpened and developed, consciousness can carry us on a journey to reveal the true nature of ourselves and all that is around us. It can guide us safely through the rushing waves to a place of peacefulness and serenity.
We have collected several techniques for learning about our true nature and developing our awareness.
Meditation
If you ever tried to meditate you may have found that it is not easy. The mind has a will of its own and easily wonders away. But with perseverance and dedication, even a short daily 10 minutes meditation can bring great benefit. Many people who start meditate struggle with false expectations and with the feeling that they are failing. But these thoughts are just another wave in the pond of consciousness. They have no meaning. One needs to observe them like any other thought or sensation and let them go as they return their awareness to the breath.
Discussions
It can be with your partner in life, a friend, a coacher or even a psychologist. Discussing your feeling and perceptions can help discover your blindspots. It must be done with a very open mind and willingness to learn, otherwise, it will most likely not work. There is also the problem of using thoughts and perceptions to analyze one’s thoughts and perceptions…
Reading and contemplating
Books can bring you knowledge and expand your perception of reality. It is usually not enough to read as you need to experience it in order to gain real insight but it gives you a direction.
Writing a journal
When you sit and think back on things that happen recently, you can become aware of things you have not noticed before. For some people, just the act of writing one’s thoughts and feelings helps clarify and focus on what is real and what is not.
Yoga or martial art exercise
When practicing yoga or martial art exercises the focus is not just on the physical side but mainly on the mental side. It is a great way to develop awareness although many people use it simply as exercise and ignore the awareness part.
Dream journal
Dreams allow us to deal with unresolved emotions in a subconscious way. During sleep, we experience the repressed emotions inside a story made of images our mind processed during the day. The trick for understanding dreams is to look at the strongest emotions we felt through the dream. They are the key to gain insight into what we are repressing and then experience that emotion and let it go. We cannot move on if we do not fully experience the emotion and understand the nature of it as impermanence.
We wish you good luck on your journey and hope you will always keep an open and curious mindset.
We offer a collection of Jewelry that aid you on your journey inwards:
