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A few days ago we had a round table discussion about awakening, expanding our awareness to higher states of consciousness and I am inspired to put some of the ideas in writing.
The Round Table (ep.4) video will be posted shortly on my YouTube Channel so click here to subscribe and watch the whole video when it’s released in a few days.
If you wonder what is awakening, as I understand awakening is a remembering to the truth that life is a spiritual experience. Awakening to the fact that we are more than our physical bodies. We are multidimensional beings. And that the temporary body-mind-heart complex only colors the experience of the Spirit, our divine part, that is the undying essence of who we truly are. This is what awakening means to me. It took a long time to see things from this way coming from a communist, materialistic perspective that banished everything spiritual.
But truth cannot be hidden at all and it is not, if you are willing to open your mind and see with new eyes. If you want to know what is happening in your internal world/reality you just have to look around, what is on the outside.
As within, so without. If you look around and observe nature, observe life you will see the dance of the light and the shadow. Birth and death, destruction and regeneration, the circle of life cannot be missed or denied.
Inside of us also there is a shadow and there is the light. There is not one without another in this duality.
This is the first shock of awakening. You are not who you think you are. You are not perfect, good or right. If you would hear the voice of your own shadow, you could not believe what you say to yourself, and keep repeating, keep believing.
And at the same time, you are perfect, you are divine, unbroken, unchained and free. If only we could see.
Now what to do? When you see how judgmental, how condescending, how angry and bitter you are?
But there is good news. Until now you were in a prison, unknown to you.
The prison of your mind, recreating your misery, though unconsciously. When we are ignorant, there is no way out. There is no chance to change. We are not aware of what needs to change.
Once you open your eyes you can choose to exit this prison and bring the light of awareness to your internal shadows.
You may ask what would make somebody to go within and see this uncomfortable truth?
Suffering is the catalyst for healing and awakening. When you realize how unhappy you are, you will be willing to take the first steps on the road less traveled.
If you think about the turning points in your life no matter how happy or sad those memories are, they were all accompanied with some kind of loss and letting go of attachments that shaped your life.
But after all death, all Dark Night of the Soul, came the Bright Days of the Sun, continuing the eternal dance of the Dark and the Light.
When you encounter your shadow and look into its eye, you embark on the biggest journey of your life. You dare to venture into the unknown and even though you are scared, you go anyways. Somewhere inside you you know that you can and you will, if you want to be free.
The two most important allies are an experienced guide who knows the territory and a supportive community that serves as source of comfort and companionship especially when you are in the intensity.
The following principles come from my personal experience and meant to serve as guide posts to bring more ease and grace to your journey. Blessings on your path.
1. Stop changing the world and start changing yourself
Change starts at the level of the individual. You can only change yourself as you have no power over others, spiritually speaking. Your external world is only a reflection of your internal reality. As within, so without, you remember. Therefore stop changing your external world and start changing yourself. Start looking within. Explore your internal world, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.
In ancient Greece, on the entrance of the Temple of Appolo (the Sun God) where the Delphi’s Oracle used to reside there is the following inscription: Know Thyself.
If you want to know the secrets of the Universe, Know Yourself!
2. Ask and you shall receive
How to make the first steps when you are walking on uncharted territory? Obviously you need support and guidance. But do not despair! The Universe wants you to be happy and it’s working for your favor. Therefore the perfect tools, people, resources are always available to you, and are right around you. When you accept that you are lost, confused and in need of support you become open and receptive. Now you can see the signs and hear the Universe talking to you. You just have to decode it.
3. Follow your Heart
But how to know where to go, what is your next step, the best decision to make? Believe me your conscious mind cannot be trusted on that because it is influenced by thousands ideas of other’s about what’s good for you and how you should live.
It is crucial that you follow your follow your inner, intuitive guidance and do what feels right instead of what you think you should do because you are afraid. I know that this is not an easy task and it goes against your conditioning but look around to see where do your head led you. It’s time to give a chance to your heart.
4. Try new things
Keep doing the same thing and expecting different results is a definition of insanity. To create something different, you have to do something different. In terms of what to choose if you have multiple options a good guiding principle is to do what you feel most excited about. This will always lead you towards your highest good and the path of the Heart. Once you tried new things, you can evaluate your new experiences. If you think how can I get more of this, obviously do more of that whatever that is.
It will be a bit difficult first to discern between the voice of your head and your heart, but focusing on how things make you feel instead of what you think about them will assist you to connect with your internal guidance. If you think you have no options, nothing to choose from just keep asking for guidance and wait for instruction.
5. Be courageous
All that you want is the other side of your fears. I know that from experience. To let go of fears you have to face them. The only way out is through, sorry about that.
The good news is that most fears are simply false evidence appearing to be real. Once you look them in the eye, they start to shrink and you will see how ridiculous they are. And guess what is on the other side of fear? Love is.
6. Surrender
The best you can do in the grip of your fear, the intensity of your experience is to soften and drop your defenses. You know the saying, let go or be dragged, well remember that. Challenges are opportunities for expansion and contain valuable lessons to grow and evolve. To get to the light you have to go through the darkness, beyond your conditioning. There you find new horizons and will see with a new eye. This requires a state of openness, willingness and curiosity and this is what surrender means to me.
7. Let go
Everything changes. Don’t be attached of who you think you are. The most powerful mantra to help you on this path is, This too shall pass. The Dark night of the Soul gives way to the Bright days of the Sun, and so on, this is a never ending cycle. The question is how will you navigate this process. How will you ride the waves of ups and downs and stay centered?
8. Presence
For me presence is being in touch with the source, my divine self who knows that all is well, always, all ways. Even in the darkest moments. To remember that I am loved and I am blessed even when I don’t feel like that. I know this is not an easy thing to do, definitely a work in progress. However practice makes a Master. When you drop into this state of presence and balance you go beyond duality and expand your awareness of the great mystery.
If you find yourself in great resistance to the present moment, ask yourself, can I fully Love and accept myself exactly the way I am in this moment?
9. Simplicity
Keep it simple. The mind has a tendency to overcomplicate things and create great confusion. Your heart on the other hand maybe more quiet but always confident, clear and simple. There are infinite perspectives to entertain the mind. The question is, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?
10. Love
The forces of love are at work only and always. This is the hardest pill to swallow, especially in the Dark night of the Soul. A teacher once said to me that love is all inclusive. I still don’t feel that way. But every day I am working on expanding my circle of love.
I can choose love or I can choose fear. What seeds we you planting?
These guideposts are some of my tools that support me on my journey. Remember that you are the Healer and Love is the Medicine. Love starts within, loving me is loving all there is.
If you want to be in service learn to see yourself and others with the eyes of Love and treat everything as part of your being. Thank you for listening.
I love myself, I love you, We are One.
Nina Izel@AvatarHealingArts
