Wake Up

“The key to growth is the production of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness”

- Lao Tzu

If you have browsed our articles or flicked through our book ‘How to Rise’ you will likely have noticed a few common themes – one in particular.

We are asking – suggesting – that you consider waking up. By this we mean becoming conscious.

Throughout life most of us spend a large proportion of time thinking, feeling and behaving in an unconscious way. We employ old behavioural patterns that were learned in childhood, under the influence of our conditioning, ultimately to preserve our safety. We respond to our environment automatically without those responses entering our awareness.

This automatic state of being serves to keep us safe and conserve our energy whilst allowing the ‘thinking’ mind to be occupied with the more cerebral tasks that are characteristic of modern life.

This unconscious behaviour can be likened to being ‘asleep.’ Old processing and behavioural patterns surface again and again resulting in the same behavioural responses and consequences until we begin to feel frustrated and ‘stuck’ in a loop of repeated outcomes. We wonder why we are not moving forward in situations and relationships, and we perceive the external environment and the behaviour of others as the obstacle to our success.

When we ‘wake up’ to our own thoughts/feelings and behaviours, we can begin to introduce choice. The Father of CBT (resilientpractice.co.uk)

We have discussed, on many occasions the concept of the Observer Self. This is the part of the psyche that can report that we think, feel or are behaving in a certain way, but not the part that is engaged in that activity. It bears witness. When we Invoke the Observer Self we can press pause and consciously choose whether to let those responses run or not.

This is how we wake up.

This does not have to be a call to arms or a violent jolt that shakes us to the core. It can manifest as a gentle or gradual realisation. A whispering to the Self or a compassionate coaxing into consciousness that takes place at the speed and pace of our own choosing, all the while embracing every step of the journey towards wakeful awareness with gratitude.

What can we wake up to?

We can gently begin to notice how our past experiences may continue to influence the way that we think/ feel and behave now and explore unconscious beliefs that we might want to reframe or see differently. How to Reframe Core Beliefs through Affirmation (resilientpractice.co.uk)

We can become aware of which of our inherent survival archetypes we regularly allow to step in to protect us from change when we are fearful. Gathering your Inner Strength (resilientpractice.co.uk)

We can learn to detect when we have been provoked into irritation or unhappiness by the behaviour of another and accept the pointer with gratitude, choosing to do the inner work at a time and pace that is right for us. Love Your Shadow (resilientpractice.co.uk)

We can observe ourselves in communication with others, gently watching our intentions to see whether our words are aligned with them. How to Speak your Truth (resilientpractice.co.uk)

We can wake up our intuition by becoming aware of the subtle body changes that come about as a result of circumstances that evoke emotion, signalling to us something has changed.

Without applying the pressure of doing we can cultivate the art of collecting information about our unconscious habits with compassion and acceptance. Then we can move into the position of being able to choose.

Try this:

Lie quietly in a darkened room and take your awareness to your breathing

Completely relax your abdomen and allow your breath to slow and deepen travelling right downwards into your belly

Become aware

Become aware of the natural pause that lies between the end of the long outbreath

And the next inbreath

Now, on the next in breath

Imagine the words ‘wake up’ gently whispered

And as you breathe out

Hear the word ‘listen’

As you do this, take your awareness to your body

Start at the top of your head

And gently scan downwards

What sensations do you feel?

Pain?

Heat?

Tension?

Relaxation?

Tingling?

Is there emotion?

Where in your body do you feel it?

Set the intention to listen

To your intuitions

The subtle body changes that signal danger

Whether something feels right

Or wrong

To your emotions

As true body experiences

To your thoughts

To the meanings that you give to your experiences

What are you saying to yourself?

Is it true?

Would you say it to someone else?

A child?

Your triggers

And your responses to them

Set the intention to quietly watch and listen

To all of your unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviours

And the intricate relationship between them

And to afford yourself

The power of choice

For more information about improving your human experience through self-awareness and a host of practical tools to help you to achieve read ‘How to Rise’