Freedom Through Deeper Awareness of Our Internal World

We’re often so caught up in the external world that we forget that we have an internal world as well. The most basic awareness of our internal World helps us navigate our life with freedom, love and agility. Without it, we get caught in the trap of our mind always analyzing pros and cons of a situation or decision without taking account of its importance to our life as a whole. 

Developing this awareness is what eventually gives rise to our intuition which gives us further clarity. We learn to become calm, peaceful and even tempered inside no matter the external situation.

For a moment, let’s direct our awareness from the external world to the inner world. Ask yourself the following questions: 

1. What’s been the dominant thought in my mind today?

2. How do I feel? What are my dominant emotions right now?

3. What do I sense in my body? Am I tense, tight or heavy? What’s my energy like?

Most folks can easily answer question #1 but #2 and #3 can be challenging, especially for men. These questions represent our three major intelligence centers - our mind, heart and gut. The depth of our answers represent the extent to which we’ve developed our ability to access what these intelligence centers are trying to convey. We can subsequently use this information to inform our thoughts, feelings and actions to create greater alignment.

For example, if the dominant thought in my mind is around not being good enough or a worry. I can then use that as information to question its source. I can inquire for evidence for what makes it true. I can find examples that prove otherwise.

If the dominant feeling I’m confronting is anxiety about a particular situation. I can then actively breathe, reflect upon what’s particularly difficult about this situation and direct energy towards a productive action such as leading with curiosity vs. confrontation.

If a sensation is present in my body (joint pain or goose bumps), it’s trying to convey something. I can inquire about its potential root cause and potentially take corrective action if needed. For example, perhaps I did or ate something that led to the joint pain so I can pay attention to that. Or perhaps a co-workers comment gave me goose bumps and I can inquire why my body may have had a reaction. Am I afraid of something or simply excited? 

If you can answer all three questions easily, congratulations!! You have access to your whole system and can cultivate the ability to use this information in your life decisions.

If it was difficult for you to answer these questions, it’s likely because you haven’t developed the awareness needed to be able to do so or these areas have been largely ignored. Worry not, this awareness and its subsequent benefits can be cultivated with the right attention over time.

If you want to create greater fulfillment in life, we must learn to work with the body vehicle we reside within. Then higher possibilities of peace, joy, intuition etc open up.

For those who would like to begin this journey  - start asking the questions above on a daily basis, note your answers and notice trends. 

~ Nitin