Choose Ananda as a way of life

Consciousness and Spiritual Growth

The purpose of life is the evolution of consciousness. Spiritual awakening offers life in the state of joy (Bliss / Ananda). If we learn to listen to our souls we can consciously choose to be joyful or sad, peaceful or loving, alert or relaxed. There is a Buddhist saying: 'Before enlightenment he gathered wood and carried water; after enlightenment he gathered wood and carried water.'

Self Realization and Personal Development

With spiritual awakening, spiritual growth becomes the central purpose and focus of life. We experience a longing to come closer to God, Love or Life and to feel One with It (So-Ham). With Spiritual Awakening, we are in love with the Divine, giving up the will - we accept total surrender to live Love as the main principle of our Life. There are many different spiritual paths that we can take: Yoga, Taoism, Christianity, Sufism, etc, or we could just walk on our-own mindful and aware like a spiritual hermit... Walking the spiritual path means finding our own relationship with God, Love or Life. Today travelers on the spiritual path have two important advantages - we now have access to the knowledge of our ancestors on variety of spiritual paths; and the spiritual path is no longer in the shadow of doctrines - it is now difficult for Churches, sects and cults to dominate our surroundings. So what is that IT, what is the consciousness or divine love we would like to become?

So, What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is continuous undisturbed awareness of the present moment. Fully aware of here, and now, we pay attention to what is happening right in front of us, we set aside our mental and emotional baggage.

Meditation training and Power of Mind

We train ourselves all through our life to waste energy following our inner narratives. We are often unconsciously driven by our fears, worries and fantasies. We interpret, speculate, and project the words, thoughts and emotions around us. Entering the space of awareness of our present moment with no emotional filters, no regrets of the past or hopes for the future, with no daydreaming and no nightmares, we enter mindfulness. Ability to concentrate will give us an ability to transform a mundane situation in a very special one – just in the midst of any moment we can decide to be mindful. Just in the midst of any moment we can decide to be happy!

Yoga and Self-Remembering

P.D. Ouspensky (a student of G.I. Gurdjieff) used the term ‘waking up’ out of the ordinary state of human consciousness - gaining presence of mind or ‘self-remembering’. The essence of the Self-Remembering technique is that while we are doing anything: reading, singing, talking, tasting – we should become aware of the Self who is reading, singing, talking or tasting. This awareness, this pure energy, this Life Force is present within us. In self-remembering there will be no thought whatever we are doing. Walking next to the sea: the sounds are there, the wind is there, we are there with the sun, with the breeze, and with our breath and awareness of our body moving, but without our thoughts. When eating, when bathing suddenly remember yourself, and stay as long as you can – remembering. Only effort is needed - a continuous effort. Whenever you remember to do it, remember yourself: Repeated efforts to self-remember lead to higher states of consciousness and an awakened state of being. They lead to happiness. To Read the Original Article, check our Guided Meditations and download Mindfulness Exercises have a look at: https://www.artof4elements.com/entry/52/what-is-mindfulness Also check How to Exercise Mindfulness: https://www.artof4elements.com/entry/129/how-to-exercise-mindfulness