Self Awareness Practice

Current practice with Tagline- quote – explain – what

The SA practice is adapted from the teachings of a great masters who says that change in breathing releases accumulated impressions and harmonizes the mind if done with sound. We use the humming sound here free from cult, dogma, belief.

Here we will practice with loud sound and also experiencing the sound inside

Regular practice and wisdom are two keys to success in managing stress in your life

The practice engages the mind in active and passive steps to help it to evolve and awaken to real-self so the self-awareness practice

Step-1 Prepare and position – Steadiness, relaxed and happy

Sit or lie down in any position that is comfortable to you. While lying down, keep your hands facing the ceiling and sitting, keep hand on the thighs facing down.

You can do this practice sitting or lying down. Keep in mind, the practice at different times in the first week is very important to change the very conditioned mind.

Be comfortable – joints and sensation.

Look – feel comfortable – understand that body remains still naturally

Step-2. 2 minute gentle and playful breathing with focus inside the forehead

Look at the major parts of body

It is not a scan but moving mind within to discover something deeper within.

Scan does not work the way eastern wisdom works

CE of the sensations

Step 3. Humming with focus inside the head and DSS breath in

Step-4. Experiencing the humming inside – not doing it but knowing it is happening inside heart or head

The same DSS breath and listen the sound within ………………

CE – deep SRS

Step-5. Contemplation

Look inside the head – space within

Self is
Truth – that never changes

Chita- Knowing it

Bliss – knowing Bliss is our essential nature ATAW

Non-self is that causes the stress and suffering when we claim we are the non self

Step-5. Breath –awareness 4 pointed

Space in and out – experience the self

We are an ocean and not the waves

Concluding step- learn from experience- 

Do nothing – live here and now – experience the change –

Doing nothing is state of being – human being

Return slowly to live in the state –

We return in a way to be able to maintain the state of relaxation for a longer period

Look at right hand – feel it, left hand – feel it

Raise both hands slowly and place it your eyes so that palms are like cups over the eyes

Open eyes slowly inside the palms

Experience the change

Bring hands down slowly 

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Simple steps to practice mindfulness

When goal of meditation/ mindfulness is clear in the mind, every step can help reach, every condition is an opportunity to work for it, anytime can become a part of journey and every act become a step towards awakening. But when goal is not clear, departure point is unknown, and mind still is working on us, then years of practice fails us.

The reality behind body, mind, life is only one. It is our true nature or essential nature. The acquired nature works in the world of change i.e. people, place, objects, events and time. We are present in time, but time may change. We are present in the presence or absence of people, place and possession. It is this presence or real-self or consciousness.

 When mind is not clear about the goal, covered by veil of ignorance (incomplete knowledge about our real nature, world, existence), it identifies with millions of things and events. The identification causes desire to exist, the desire causes agitation. The agitation may become aspiration to know our own nature. In the case of mental impurity and clarity, many steps have been discovered and perfected by masters. Awareness of breath, sensation, thoughts, feelings, non-self, mantra, asana, pranayama, mudra, are few of the practices incorporated as step towards awakening. It is important to remember that these practices or steps are like means not the end like car is a mean to reach home. At some time, we must leave the car behind. We need not to remain attached to the car, otherwise, we will reach inside the home.

 Every master for 6000 years followed the same principles of eastern wisdom but gave different practices to their contemporary’s people. It is because of the temperament of people. We are living in an age of reason, the principles of eastern wisdom are much more relevant in today’s world because we can intellectually understand before starting the practice. This approach is common in all our activities in daily life.

The external factors like choosing the position of body (lying, sitting or any other depending on the condition of the body), place (private place or studio or office), fragrance, sound, etc.  are secondary, and may be important in the beginning but not essential.

The internal factors like level of awareness of the body, breath, thinking, sensations are much more important, still are left behind in mindfulness state because emptiness or objectless state is more important than these experiences.

The objectless state is the state where experience and experiencer meets together and separate from each other. The mindfulness is knowing the experiencer. That is why Buddha said, know-thyself, he did not say- know thy experiences. 

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Wisdom – knowledge (of the self) is the power that awakens to peace, happiness, love, and truth

तत्कर्म यन्न बन्धाय सा विद्या या विमुक्तये।

आयासायापरं कर्म विद्यऽन्या शिल्पनैपुणम्॥

"tatkarma yanna bandhāaya sā vidyā yā vimuktaye|

āyāsāyāparaṁ karma vidya’nyā śilpanaipuṇam|| Vishnu Purana 1-19-41||"

That is real action, which does not promote attachment; That is real knowledge which liberates [one from stress and suffering]. All other action is mere [pointless] effort/hardship; all other knowledge is merely another skill/craftsmanship. 

The secret of mindfulness lies in conscious fusion of knowledge and action or karma. We cannot live without action. We cannot live without knowledge.

When we awaken within and perform an action that does not create clinging. This action purifies the mind. The knowledge that leads to awakening to our true nature. The time comes in the journey of mindfulness, when we discover – we are not the doer, even while performing all activities, we experience the state of effortlessness.

That is why mindfulness is effortless and natural (practice) or journey 

Any action/ effort/work done with I-ness leads to suffering and pain. I-ness is associated with eating not digesting, staring not looking. there is no I-ness in sleeping state. Any Action/work done free from doership in the spirit of play becomes effortless. The word play is used here to perform to act, that drops the mind who creates sense of I-ness. The effortless action in mindfulness awakens to knowledge of self. This knowledge leads to freedom from mind.

But the knowledge is given by teacher and not the Google or Bing. Because mindfulness aims at discovery of subjective reality. Mind needs a change and right perception. Everyone’s mind is unique , different and responds to people, place, objects and time differently. There teacher enters the life of a seeker and mentors his mind to change from wrong to right perception.

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Purify the intellect before you start a journey to mindfulness

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥Bhagvad Gita 2.58॥

yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā

When the seeker can completely withdraw the senses from the sense objects as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into the shell for protection from calamity, then the intellect of such a person is considered steady.

The intellect is one of the four functional aspects of mind. The thinking mind, intellect, ego and memory are four functional aspects of mind.

The Sanskrit word Buddhi means intellect and awareness. Without self-awareness, one cannot choose and decide. But when intellect is impure, it chooses what one likes, dislikes but not what is good. What is good is right. The right here means – real, eternal, inner peace, happiness, love and wisdom (that never changes in life i.e. our true nature). 

When intellect declares others (people, place, possession, event, and time) are responsible for miseries and suffering, the intellect is impure, mind is lazy, crazy, reactive and wandering and senses are deeply attached to objects outside.

The mind is crazy, lazy, reactive because of the desire. The intellect when pure chooses, what is good, real, eternal. the pure intellect purifies the thinking and right thinking perceives what is good.

This enables the brain to change, what science says, ‘fire the brain to rewire it’. It is important to know that eastern wisdom has clear concepts about the mind and science is progressively becoming clear about the gray matter. The masters of eastern wisdom declare that the knowledge from any source are welcome that leads to discovery of our true nature. 

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I know everything, still I am suffering – not yet a seeker

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव:

पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: |

यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे

शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || Bhagvad Gita 2.7||

kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ

pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ

yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme

śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam

I am confused about my duty, am besieged with anxiety and faintheartedness. I am your disciple, and am surrendered to you. Please instruct me for certain what is best for me. 

Some people claim, they know what causes the miseries in their lives, still they are not ready to tread the path of inner peace and happiness. Some rare people recognize the confusion, fear, anxiety, helplessness in their nature (acquired by the mind) and ready to learn, educate the mind. The transition from a person to a student to a disciple to a seeker of peace, happiness, love, and wisdom.

The seeker has an intense desire. The intense desire keeps the mind on the steps that help succeed in mindfulness. These steps are: 

• Learning the principles aims at the discovery of subjective reality.
• Contemplation and reflection that results in conviction and removing the doubts and confusions of mind. 
• Regular practice with wisdom that translates the intellectual understanding to awakening. 

The above verse says the seeker never loses his focus to tread the path during many challenges in life i.e. anxiety, confusion, and suffering. Only the seeker cannot lose his/her faith in oneself and succeeds. The seeker is always looking for an answer, within oneself. 

We all have the same mind, still, its expressions are different. It is the mind with its impressions that makes us unique. But the same mind, follows the path of eastern wisdom, it recognizes the problems and seeks a solution within. It says, ‘I am responsible for suffering and happiness. How to help mind change to secure and discover happiness within’. The mind that blames, complains, reacts, regrets, projects worries is not ready for mindfulness. 

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The mindfulness aims at knowing our true nature

Mind is objectified by default since birth. It is the animal mind that is working in us, always guided by fear, security, pleasure, food and pleasure. It is habitual and heavily conditioned that seeks pleasure, security and fear in the world outside in people, place, objects and events.

We cannot know the reality when mind is objectified. We are fooled by the mind because it claims that we are nothing but experiences of the mind.

When we were born, there was no I. As we grow, our identity with objects and experiences was established. Because mind found pleasure in objects outside, it forgets the other flow that moves inside, behind and above the mind.

Masters say that there are two flow of the mind. One flow moves by default in the world outside, and experiences it gathers to live life. the second flow of mind is complimentary opposite that flows inside. The inside flow of mind makes the mind subjective to discover the subjective reality.

We are beyond the mind i.e. subjective that knows the mind too. This subjective reality, according to masters of Eastern Wisdom, is our real nature. The real nature is full of inner peace and happiness.

The entire journey of mindfulness is moving the mind within by understanding the nature of reality so that mind merges into real self, naturally. The outside flow creates Mamata (passion, desires, cravings fears etc.) and inside flow creates Mindfulness, that purifies, drops and dissolve the mind itself.

To refuse sufferings in life, the mind should change its flow inside, and stop seeking and projecting happiness in the objects, people, place outside in the world. If the mind does know clearly, what is the flow inside and what is purpose of this flow, it can refuse sufferings. Mind should know the nature of real-self and at the same time remove wrong notion and thinking that creates suffering.

Mind is seeking others, it means it desires things, objects and people outside. Mind projects happiness, peace and love in things outside, it means it is seeking peace and happiness in the objects and people. But peace and happiness are not outside, still mind seeks and projects. This is ignorance.

The ignorance of seeking and projecting outside, creates trigger within the mind. This process in the mind prevents us to refuse suffering in life. By habit, mind gives birth to fears, greed, pain and sufferings. Mind continues to seek and project, creates a web. The web creates trigger and agitation in the mind. Trigger further demands mind to seek and project. we start living in ignorance and suffering. Mindfulness dissolves this web of suffering.

Mind works with two flow simultaneously in the journey of self-discovery or mindfulness

Masters declare that (Gita 2.25) the real-self is unmanifest, it is unthinkable, it is immutable, so it is described (by the Shrutis); therefore, knowing it as such, thou should not grieve.

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Self-discovery - Do I know who am I

Do we know who we are? If we know who we are, then there is no suffering in life at all. If we don’t know who we are, there is a need to find it out. The questions baffle common man and scientists alike. However, the great masters of Eastern Wisdom, who discovered Yoga, Mantra, mindfulness, and meditation declare that our true nature hides behind the body, breath, life, mind, intellect, and ego.

Why we never desire to find out what is our true nature? Because we are misguided by wrong notions and thinking about it. We have taken for granted that we are the sum of body, breath, mind, intellect, and their activities. The mind perceives the body, life, mind are all changing from moment to moment and at the same mind is searching for permanent peace and happiness.

This trigger in the mind to search for permanent happiness must have some basis deep within, behind all that is changing. The great masters have found out that it is our true nature – real-self, SatChitAnanda, pure consciousness, or subjective reality.

The subjective reality cannot be known or searched by the mind because the mind cannot perceive what lies beyond and behind the mind. This understanding led to the understanding of mindfulness/ meditation, yoga, and tantra. The method of self-discovery is very well-designed by our great masters and validated for over 10000 years. The first step is to become a qualified seeker, the second step is to know the principles of self-discovery, the third step to follow the personalized practices given by the teacher, fourth step is to experience the change and learn from experiences. These are the steps that lead to awakening and relaxation of one’s true nature or self.

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Relaxation and Mindfulness: a perspective from Eastern Wisdom

What is Eastern Wisdom

The Eastern Wisdom is known as Sanatan (eternal or no changing) principles that are applied, simple, and easy to lead a life beyond suffering. It aims at the end of suffering and awakening to inner peace and happiness. Relaxation and mindfulness are natural states of every human being, according to Eastern Wisdom. It is baffling for scientists to accept this notion of natural state because science discovers the objective reality, and Eastern Wisdom discovers the subjective truth of man. 

Two different approaches to knowledge seeking truth differently

Our technology is remarkable, but our psychology is deplorable. We are enjoying outer riches at the cost of bankruptcy within. The inner poverty causes suffering in our personal, professional, social, and family life. It is because of our perception and notion about life, relationship; work is based on objective reality. Relaxation and mindfulness are the states beyond the mind, according to Eastern Wisdom, that reflects our existence and our real nature. 

Knowledge is that power which liberates one from suffering 

According to the teachings of great masters of Eastern Wisdom, knowledge (of self) is the highest knowledge that liberates one free pain. The moment knowledge dawns of the self, suffering ends and relaxation and mindfulness state are realized. The wisdom of Eastern Wisdom is more than 10000 years old, supported by 3000 texts and masters. There is a systematic approach to learning and practice. 

1. Learning and listening to the principles of Eastern Wisdom with masters.

2. Contemplation and reflection on the principles to understand it and remove doubts.

3. Applying the principles through many customized practices to evolve the mind.

4. Experiencing the change and learning from experience until the final stage is reached. 

Eastern Wisdom always leads to relaxation and mindfulness 

According to Eastern Wisdom, the entire universe can be divided into two central division, namely self and non-self. Who am I is our true nature, and who am I not is nonself? It is not easy to recognize the two – self and non-self without understanding the principles of Eastern Wisdom. That is the reason master semphasizes learning the principles by listening from the teacher.

The self is SatChitAnanda or the absolute existence consciousness bliss. It is a state of pure consciousness. We say it is pure consciousness because it is an object-less state of mind devoid of objectivity of the mind. There are thousands of practices passed on to us by our great masters to realize the object-less state of relaxation, and the mindfulness includes, Mindfulness, Kundalini, Rupa Meditation, Mantra, Yantra, Mudra practices. 

Relaxation and mindfulness

Google is flooded with practices, guidance, and teachings of relaxation and mindfulness- 2 -5-10 minutes of instant methods. All these are aberrations because they do not conform to the principles of Eastern Wisdom. Why it took Buddha more than 13 years to discover relaxation, mindfulness, compassion, love, and wisdom? Because he learned the principles from many masters, practiced and applied in life. There is no doubt every practice gives some relaxation and glimpse of mindfulness state. Still, people do not discover the permanent state of mindfulness. It is a journey to objectless state that can be attained only when the mind is disciplined and educated by principles of Eastern Wisdom aims at self-discovery. 

About Girish Jha, MA 

40+ years of experience in teaching, research, educating thousands of people includes diplomats, engineers, doctors, kids, professors. Many Himalayan masters have mentored Girish Jha. He studied psychology, philosophy, applied mindfulness, Tantra, Yoga, Spirituality. He has a master’s in science and applied mindfulness. He has helped people overcome the challenges of HIV, Substance Abuse, Opioid addiction, Stress, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, depression, relationship problems.  

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We need the education to awaken to inner peace and happiness

Three grace helps evolve a person

The human race is more evolved as compared to other living beings, due to intellect that can make the right choice in his life. The masters of Eastern Wisdom say that it is the grace of the existence that we are born as a human being. The second grace is learning and educating the mind from eastern wisdom. It is because we never educate the mind – who we truly are? What is the world concerning our personalized experience? What is existence? And how to discover and live in peace and happiness? The third grace is to have an intense desire for self-discovery because of all our achievements, sufferings, problems and challenges, woven around the self.

Aspiration for self-discovery is important

The intense desire to educate the mind and evolve only takes place when a person recognizes the wrong notions and thing and removes them through learning the principles of eastern wisdom. He, then, contemplates and reflects that leads to clarity and conviction. It is interesting to note that Eastern Wisdom emphasizes the role of a teacher because he personalizes the teachings and practices.

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The romance with the self that transforms the life

The great master, Sri Aurobindo, said that ‘Romance and Love mean to discover the eternal moment in any individual, so that delight of existence can be experienced at every moment and grows constantly.

My master used to say, never fall in love but rise in love. The fall in love can happen anytime in the life of anyone. But when a person treads the path of Eastern Wisdom aims at self-discovery, he becomes a seeker. The seeker alone can rise in love. It is a journey in life where a seeker discovers eternal love deep within oneself.

The romance when we fall in love fades with the time. After a few days, weeks or months, we tend to blame others as if they are not the same as before. We forget that we too have changed. This forgetfulness in mind leads to incomplete knowledge about our true nature. The hiding of true nature by the mind, caused by the wrong notion and thinking in mind, is ignorance.

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How can Eastern Wisdom be an effective tool to manage anxiety?

Millions of people in the world today suffer from anxiety related challenges. Some of the known symptoms are unease, discomfort, fear; worry remains present after the stressor/s are gone.

The Eastern Wisdom says that ‘mind lives in five subjective states- wandering, forgetfulness, fancies, one-pointedness, and emptiness. The masters say that the first three states cause mental challenges including anxiety, stress, and suffering. The one-pointed state in Eastern Wisdom is much more than merely a focus of the mind. The one-pointed state isa qualified state of mind of a person who becomes a seeker treading the path to self-discovery.

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