Consciousness is defined as the state or quality of awareness. To be aware we have to be awake. Not just physically awake but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
We are all conscious beings, but achieving a state of higher consciousness is about developing the awareness of the hidden, unseen world. It is about digging deeper beneath the surface in order to uncover the essence or truth.
Consciousness can be similar to enlightenment. The truly conscious person is awakened to their fullest potential and therefore “lit up” with the energy of who they really are.
Raising your consciousness is not something that is only for the privileged few. We all have the ability to raise our levels of consciousness through being more aware of who we are, where we are and what we are doing.
Many spiritual teachers call this being “present”. It is only when you are fully aware of the present moment that you can truly raise your consciousness.
But what does this even mean?
What does it mean to be present?
How does being present help me?
Becoming Physically Present
Take a moment right now to observe 7 things around you. Look at your surroundings and identify 7 things that stand out to you.
Just by doing this easy exercise, it is has brought your attention into the present. When you are in the present, it helps you to become completely aware. For just a minute when you were identifying the objects in the room, there was no worry, there was no fear. There was just you, the observer, trying to tune into what you were seeing.
This works on a deeper level as well. When you can be present and tune in to how you are feeling, you also start become more aware and more conscious.
Becoming Emotionally Present
Take a moment right now to identify 3 things that you are currently feeling. Go with the first emotions that pop into your mind.
In that brief moment, when you were doing that exercise you started to tune into your emotional awareness. In this moment you were able to clearly tune into your emotional state of being and feel your energy. In this moment there was nothing else, it was just you, the observer.
We can go even deeper with this exercise onto a more spiritual level, but this is where it takes true commitment and practice.
In fact, all of this does, which is why even the most “enlightened” of people will always have days when they lose touch with who they are and their awareness.
Becoming Spiritually Present
To heighten your spiritual awareness, it requires you to learn how to separate who you are with the observer in your mind. To do this, give yourself 2 praises. This could be something like- “I really love how you handled that project at work today”.
Whatever praises you come up with, say them to yourself in your head. As you are saying them, feel the response that you get when you hear them. That “person” that energy hearing the response is who you are. You are not the voice, you are the listener. You are the energy hearing those words.
Mind blown? I hope so.
Being in the present moment is really about holding on to your awareness and keeping in the flow of life. It is not about getting caught up in the past or in the future.
This doesn’t mean that you ignore the things that happened in the past, or you neglect your future. It just means that your active awareness is with the energy of the present.
When you are actively present you have taken care of your past and your future simultaneously. When you are in the present, you are one with yourself and the world.
Being present is a gift (pun intended) and the more you can practice tuning in to the moment that is around you, the more peace you will feel with your every day life, and the higher your consciousness will go.
“Wherever you are, be there. If you can be fully present now, you’ll know what it means to live”- Steve Goodier
Need more? Read this.
