We have traditionally believed that, in order to live consciously, we would need to retreat to some solitary enclave far from the madding crowd and consecrate our days and nights to contemplation. Although this is certainly an option, it's not the only way to have a conscious existence.
We are all “one” with the planet
We aren’t isolated individuals, but an integral part of a whole. Shifting our perception and understanding that everything on this planet is interconnected, will open our eyes to a reality beyond the illusion of separation, where we’ll be able to live on purpose, joy, and peace.
To align with this collective consciousness, we should start by questioning many of the paradigms that we have accepted up until now. These will often materialise on a variety of forms, from daily simple basic routines (eg. I need to sleep a minimum of x number of hours) to more complex judgements (eg. I’ve never done this before, so I won’t be good at it). Regardless of their nature, paradigms will always act as a barrier in our efforts to have a conscious existence.
Free yourself from judgement
Exercising no judgment is a very effective way to break with those old paradigms ingrained in us. Try to live free of judgement. That means that, from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, you live without attaching “good” and “bad” labels to everything and everyone around you. It will take a bit of mental ping-pong to stop yourself from defaulting to the old way of doing, seeing and perceiving. But you’ll be surprised by how different things start to look once you stop judging them.
A good tip to facilitate this process and avoid going into an automatic judgmental pilot is showing gratitude throughout your day. You can start from the moment you get out of bed. Or even better, from the moment you open your eyes by saying “Thank you for another wonderful day ahead of me, where I can become the creator of my own happiness, joy and success”.
Being grateful is one of the most effective ways to feel empowered and avoid falling into a judgmental frame of mind.
Be the master of your own reality
One of the most popular quotes from the Bible says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Mathew 7:7). You can create your own reality. Simply decide what you want, ask for it, and behave as if it was already yours. This idea might sound simple, but it requires an important shift in our perception. From “I’ll believe it when I see it”, to “I’ll see it when I believe it”.
Aligning with our inner purpose and deciding what we really want in life, it's a task most people struggle with. We find ourselves caught in a situation where our inability to go beyond our old paradigms, makes it impossible for us to find out what we want in this life.
All the illusions we believe are real, are in fact geared to make us feel that our options are limited by externally induced factors such as education, upbringing, social class, country of origin, IQ rate, finances… You name it. In reality, none of those factors should stand between us and our purpose.
Sustainable living habits
Living a sustainable life means doing anything in our hands to protect the environment, and in particular to lower carbon emissions and fight climate change. From reducing consumption of non-essentials, like clothes, shoes, or bags; to turning the heating down; to walking more and driving less; to using sustainable packaging; to stopping wasting food…
Another way to live more sustainably is by
growing our own vegetables
and cooking and tea herbs. We can do this at home, indoors. Growing your own food will bring many positives into your life, including access to supplies all year round; huge choice; and direct contact with nature, to mention only a few.
Consciousness brings us closer to nature and to the beautiful planet Earth. Everything around us has been created by the same force that created us. We are all made of particles of the same universal energy. We should all do our utmost to protect the miraculous creation that our planet is.
Having a sustainable life will help us live a simpler and more mindful existence where we are fully aware of the impact of our actions on the world around us. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the endless creative force of the Universe and to contribute to this wonderful creation.
Swap fear for love
Most of our fears have been made up in our minds. The way they manifest may vary from wanting to control the natural flow of life; to thinking of the future rather than focus on the present; to holding on to things or people that aren’t meant for us. When we decide to look through the lens of love rather than the lens of fear wonderful things happen. We stop being frightened of life; we focus our attention on the positive; we release unnecessary luggage, forgive, forget and let go.
These are some of the things we can do to make sure we choose love instead of fear:
🫁 Let go by focusing on the breath: every time that we entertain ourselves mulling over something that happened to us or that someone did to us the alarm should go off. The chances are our egos have taken over and we are out of alignment with our inner self. We should take a few deep breaths and acknowledge our feelings before we shift our attention into the present moment, and into the opportunities, we can create.
🌌 Trusting that the Universe has a perfect plan for us and that everything will work to our best advantage requires another important shift in our perception of ourselves and the world around us.
😺 Cultivating an abundance mindset, not only will we reduce our fears, but we will also learn that choosing love instead of fear is a necessary step to open ourselves to new possibilities.
Develop your spiritual resilience
Aligning with our inner self and being spiritually resilient is the foundation for a conscious lifestyle. A routine that provides us with the right setting and tools to nourish our spirituality will considerably help us achieve this objective.
You shouldn’t be thinking of pushing yourself to meet uncomfortable and strenuous schedules. It’s more about naturally shifting into those habits that will contribute to getting the best out of us physically and mentally.
These are three things you can do to develop your spiritual resilience:
🧘🏿♀️ Meditating should become part of our daily routine. There are many kinds of meditations, and you’ll probably have to try a few before deciding which one best suits you. Meditation is a tool that can be used throughout the day. Duration might vary depending on your circumstances, from a longer session early in the morning to shorter practices throughout the day and at night. Ideally, you would also do group meditation. Buddhist and Hindu temples often offer free group meditation sessions.
💦 The word yoga refers to the union of the individual consciousness with the collective consciousness. Practicing yoga brings balance and harmony to our minds and bodies and helps us develop strength and focus. The combination of mental and physical benefits achieved through yoga, make this practice a key tool in our journey to consciousness. I personally love hot yoga, but there are many kinds of yoga, which makes it virtually impossible no find one that fits your preferences.
📚 Reading spiritual books should also be a daily habit for you. There are countless wonderful books out there that have been written throughout history and that would help you enormously to give answers to your questions around consciousness. Make sure you get a good balanced of books from different religions as well as those that aren’t connected to any creed.
Become an active member of your community
Urban areas offer numerous opportunities to connect people through a sense of community. One of the first things to consider, if you don’t do it already, is to volunteer for a local organisation. Volunteering will contribute to your spiritual journey in a variety of ways. It will allow you to help other people; it will put you in contact with people from your local community with similar interests to you; and it will encourage you to develop areas of interest.
In addition, you could also join a yoga or meditation club in your local area that you could attend either during the day or if this is not possible in early mornings or late evenings. Most places offer a variety of sessions to fit different schedules. Also, how about approaching local walking, birds or star watching groups? These tend to be free, and you will get great pleasure from enjoying the nature around you.
Practice mindful eating
You will notice that as your entire life shifts to a more conscious state, your diet and the way you relate to food will also change. There is no need to define yourself as this or that. You will simply start
being more mindful of what you eat and how you eat it. This will fundamentally mean that you’ll move into a more natural diet, and you will take more time to eat and enjoy the tastes and textures of the food.
Practically, this swift will translate into eating more locally produced vegetables; giving up on processed food; creating balanced portions; and reducing guilty pleasures. As a consequence, you will eat more at home and will use higher quality ingredients; will have more control of your calorie intake; and you will waste less food. Growing your own vegetables and herbs will give you further control over the whole food chain.
As important as what we eat is to become aware of how we eat it. We should mindfully, take small bites and chew thoroughly. Ideally, it’s better not to speak while we are eating or being in a loud environment. And remember, mindful eating starts with your shopping list. The best way to avoid eating unhealthy food is by only buying healthy ingredients.
In summary, conscious living is about putting ourselves first mentally, spiritually, and physically. Our individual consciousness will touch everyone around us on ways that go far beyond what our intellects can picture. One person alone can change the word, and that person may be you.
